


my world goes soft (before the storm)

by thelandofnothing



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, M/M, Mutual Pining, Parent-teacher interviews, a bit of angst, a lot of sexual tension don’t @ me, arya is barra’s teacher, arya thinks that gendry is barra’s dad, gendry is totally crushing on her, just idiots misinterpreting things
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2020-10-28 05:00:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 27,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20772932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelandofnothing/pseuds/thelandofnothing
Summary: When his little sister's teacher is replaced with the young, grey-eyed Arya Stark, Gendry finds himself drawn to her in a way he cannot fathom.Everything from sexually tense parent-teacher interviews to ten year old attitude-based on a tumblr post-(title from the song rainy day loop by SALES)





	1. is this happiness?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fineosaur](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fineosaur/gifts).

> this was completely impulsive and completely based on this wonderful idea: https://gendry.tumblr.com/post/187939717793/barra-i-cant-believe-you-have-a-crush-on-my
> 
> i hope you guys enjoy this, it is quite short but i will work on it more 
> 
>   
Some ages:  
Barra Waters: 10  
Gendry: 32  
Arya: 27 
> 
> thank you for all the support fineosaur, this one is for u babe (and all the gendry gang)

**-Gendry-**

Arriving at Barra’s school felt like any other day; he’d wait a good ten minutes for her to finish talking with her friends and then she’d jump in his ratty jeep, talking about her day all the way back home. 

He had heard of a new teacher in her school, one who was meant to be young and exciting, transferred all the way from Winterfell. He could tell his little sister was excited, she seemed much more motivated about school and the year ahead. It was a hard job, he thought, to be the educator of the younger generation and he just hoped Barra landed a good teacher for the rest of the year. 

He remembered how each day Barra would sit in the car after school and complain about how their slightly occult teacher was too busy bitching about the man she tried to seduce over the weekend. Gendry was even convinced that the woman practiced the dark arts especially when he had come in for parent-teacher interviews and saw red and black posters lining the entirety of the classroom. Luckily, the school had enough sense to fire her it seemed, and Gendry only hoped that Barra could enjoy the last bit of the school year with someone who actually cared about her education. 

He had wanted to be involved in Barra’s school activities from the very start so she didn’t have an inch of the life he had growing up; the boys mocking him when no one came to his parent-teacher interviews, constant taunting and reminding of the life he did not have. Of course, he was a bit self-conscious as many of the teachers at Barra’s school were aware that he was a single man, and some even went on to assume he was her dad. He could easily comprehend their misunderstanding as there was an obvious age gap between them but Gendry loved nothing more than being the father figure that his sister needed in the absence of an abandoning asshole. 

He pulled back to focus as he drove into the carpark of Barra’s school; a quaint little primary school on the outskirts of Storm’s End where the pungent aroma of sea salt pierced his nostrils. Gendry thanked all the Gods he could utilise the help of his older foster dad, Davos Seaworth who loved Barra like she was his very own granddaughter. Looking at the schoolyard he smiled when he saw the child-grown veggie patch that he had been apart of too as well as the colourful mosaic he remembered lending a hand to crack old recycled tiles for the kids to paint and glue when Barra had been seven. He had enjoyed being in Barra’s life, after becoming her guardian when she was five, Gendry had made sure she had everything she needed so he could eradicate the stigma of being an orphan. 

Barra was with her friends when he spotted her, and he waved to get her attention. Her face split into a playful grin as she ran up to him and pulled the car door open. 

“Gendry, I forgot my art book, can you come with me?” she asked and he was slightly taken aback by Barra’s clingy behaviour in front of several of her school peers. 

“Of course,” he agreed and got out of the car. 

She led him to the hallway and they walked down together, the clacking of her school shoes on the linoleum almost made him smile. He liked his sister being happy, he liked her being youthful and skipping down the school hallway. Whoever this new teacher was already had his favour. 

He walked into the classroom and immediately sensed an immediate change; posters were already stapled to the walls and the kids were all putting away their paintings on a drying rack. 

“Hi Barra” a voice called and he turned around to be met with the prettiest set of grey eyes that shone right through his soul. 

“Hi Miss Stark, I’m just getting my art book,” 

“No worries,” she smiled, her eyes dancing, “I’m sorry, can I help you?”

It took him a few seconds to realise she had addressed him and he hoped to all Seven Gods that he hadn’t been caught checking her out. She was young, _ incredibly _young for a teacher but she seemed to carry a spark that he hadn’t witnessed in the majority of Barra’s teaching staff for many years. 

“Oh… Hi,” he managed and watched her smile. 

He hadn’t seen this woman before; not with her small frame and youngish looking face framed by a messy low ponytail of dark brown hair. She had a light in her eyes; the kind that gleamed with a type of kindness that he was instantly drawn to. 

“I’m the new teacher, Miss Stark,” she introduced herself, holding out a hand to shake. 

He accepted it immediately and noticed her grip was extremely firm for her small size. 

“Gendry Waters, it’s nice to meet you,” he smiled back and noticed the freckles that dotted her nose, “Yeah, Barra’s my girl. She’s been excited about meeting the new teacher. Hasn’t stopped talking about it all weekend.” 

He turned around to see his sister still busy at work; swirling the paints around with a well-worn art brush. 

“She’s been nothing but lovely today, she helped me find all these art materials,” the teacher announced, gesturing to the assortment of acrylic paints and brushes, “It was honestly horrific to walk in here before class, whoever must have been in here must have been a devil. Everything was so…” 

“Red?” Gendry raised an eyebrow and felt his teeth grit, “Yeah, I heard that teacher was a nightmare. She even had an extremely suspicious name.” 

“Melisandre?” 

“That’s the one,” he nodded and watched Barra get out her black sketchbook. 

"She sounded like a proper psycho," she laughed and looked around the classroom, "Poor kids." 

"Poor kids," he agreed, shaking his head. 

“I just started off with some art today, just to spruce the place up. I’ll probably start with some Common Tongue and Mathematics tomorrow. I’ll see how it goes,” she said and moved to the whiteboard to clean it. 

“If it’s anything interesting, the kids will love it for sure,” he smiled at her and she let out a soft laugh. 

"We'll see how long until they're calling me boring too, Mr Waters," she smirked and he had an inkling that she cared little what people and kids, in particular, had to say about her. 

"I highly doubt that," he said, looking at her. 

“Let’s go!” Barra said, grabbing his hand rather forcefully, "Bye Miss Stark!"

“Ouch, sorry, I guess I’ll see you at parent-teacher interviews!” he called out before his sister dragged him out. 

“Yes, you will,” he heard her say before he was being marched down the hall. 

  


Once they got back into Gendry’s car, Barra folded her arms against her chest and gave him a judgemental look. 

“What’re you looking at me like that for?” he asked, raising an eyebrow as he started the car and pulled out of the chaotic carpark. 

“You were suspiciously nice to my teacher,” she observed and he scoffed. 

“I am nice to your teachers,” 

She raised both brows in disbelief. 

“You told my old teacher that she was, and I quote, ‘a crazy-ass witch’,” she air quoted and he shrugged his shoulders. 

“Well, was I wrong?” 

“Not entirely but…” 

“Then I don’t see what the problem is little sis,” he smiled, moving his hand to ruffle her hair, “I can be nice when I want, you just have extremely low expectations of me.” 

Barra just rolled her eyes. 

“I wonder why,” 

Gendry ignored his sister’s attitude and focused on the road which did little to his wandering thoughts about a pair of grey eyes.


	2. white noise, what an awful sound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> arya deals with new feelings. a run-in whilst shopping at the supermarket creates sparks. a much-needed phone call between sisters, only accentuates wishes and desires.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes she's back in like... two days. 
> 
> im really motivated to get this out so stay tuned. 
> 
> hope you guys enjoy this chapter! things from now on will progress
> 
> (chapter title: mystery of love - surfjan stevens)

**-_Arya-_**

Arya had been met with an influx of parents’ emails over the first week; asking things such as their “_ academic progress” _and their test results when she had only been the teacher for one week. 

She was a little baffled with some parents of her students; those who barely had time to see their kids in the morning but had the audacity to write emails asking about their progress and not their well-being. Arya had always hated that in schools and she was determined to set out and change it, despite being clearly against the traditional educational model. She replied to each email as cheerily as she could, adding smiley faces until she felt physically sick. Her entire family had been more than surprised when she went into teaching, most likely expecting her to dapple in the police force or, according to her youngest brother Rickon, become a secret agent. Truthfully, Arya had always wanted an opportunity to make a difference for all kinds of young children and she had always thoroughly enjoyed teaching since she was a young girl. She hoped she would make a difference, especially with blue-eyed Barra Waters who was an exceptional student; motivated and intrigued by new knowledge. 

Closing her laptop finally, she stretched and noticed most of the other teaching staff were already packing up to leave for the weekend. She wanted to slide off her chair at the thought of going to the supermarket when all she felt like instead was curling up in front of a lonely glass of red wine, a huge pizza and that show her sister Sansa wouldn't shut up about. She hadn’t been able to think of much else but her lesson plans and her students, and now those stupid emails. Sometimes she really thought she was much too pessimistic to work at a primary school but she knew how to put on a face even when she was not feeling her best. 

Driving to the supermarket almost seemed depressing as Arya had always thrived on her family’s tradition of disorganised and chaotic routine. Storm’s End, it seemed, was truly her first test of normalcy in the journey of finding a place to settle. She liked the Stormlands, she liked the rugged coast and the equally rugged people who reminded her of the stony-faced Northerners she had grown up with. Sea salt stuck in the air like a well-liked companion and she smelt it on her clothes and in her hair wherever she went. She loved the jagged cliffs and crashing waves and she decided when she had more time, and made some friends, she wanted to do walks through the rolling but unforgiving plains. 

Once she pulled into the car park and got out, she trekked to the store eager to be in and out at a record time. She pulled out a shopping basket and made her way through her list, stocking up on the things she needed for the next week and a bunch of junk food for the weekend to come. At least she didn’t have to do any marking yet because then she’d find herself in the bottle shop a whole lot sooner. Pasta, pasta sauce, some biscuits that looked good for a snack, bread, butter… And Oreos that were located at the highest shelf actually possible. She was seriously considering climbing the shelf when an arm passed beside her and picked up the packet, handing it to her. 

She looked up to the piercing blue eyes of Gendry Waters, her favourite student’s father. 

_ Oh, Seven Hells. _

“Saw you struggling Miss Stark, it’s an abomination that they’d put them so high,” he commented, his hand outstretched with her packet of Oreos. 

After a few seconds of ogling, which she hoped he hadn’t noticed, she took the packet hesitantly and smiled. 

“Thanks for that, I was fully prepared to climb the shelf like I normally do,” he laughed and looked around behind her if she could see Barra, “Friday night shopping?”

“Yeah, usually we do a pizza so I thought I’d get some dessert, and truthfully well,” he smiled and she was taken aback by how gorgeous his pearly whites were, “I’m out of beer, but don’t tell Barra that.” 

She let out a laugh. 

“Yeah, well your secret is safe with me Mr Waters,” she smiled and put the cookies in her basket. 

“Gendry,” he said, his brows furrowing. 

“Excuse me?” she asked. 

“Sorry, I mean… You don’t have to call me Mr Waters, it kind of makes me sound old innit? You can just call me Gendry,” he blurted out in a flustered tone, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Well if you say so, but I insist you call me Arya if that’s the case,” she raised an eyebrow.

“Oh no, I will most definitely continue calling you Miss Stark. Seems to rile you up,” he said cheekily. She didn’t miss his ear-splitting grin that sent the butterflies in her stomach into complete turbulence.

“You’re a cruel man,” she laughed and picked up her shopping basket, “If you don’t mind, I’ve got a bottle of red and a pizza to look forward to so I have to go.” 

“I wouldn’t want to keep you from it. I guess I’ll see you around?” he said smiling down at her. 

“Yeah, see you around,” she smiled and turned her back, trying subtly to flick her hair over a shoulder. 

Once she reached the edge of the aisle to see him still standing there, an odd expression on his face. 

She quickly paid for her items and saw Gendry picking out beer. Even from this distance, his arms looked incredible under the particularly tight shirt he wore and although she could fixate on his clothes for as long as possible, it was the way he had smelt nearly pressed up against her. It wasn’t cliche at all; he didn’t smell of a powerful cologne or some masculine musty scent; he smelt like the sea, pine and metal, a gentle but powerful aroma that had her thinking of another way to spend her Friday night. She had been single for as long as she had known, only indulging in the occasional one-night stand usually with a less than average partner. Her mother had stopped pestering her about settling down knowing that Sansa’s run-ins with abusive men were no laughing matter. Arya had never properly sat down with herself and thought about how she was nearing 30. She hadn’t felt that specific feeling of attraction towards anyone before, but the last week with Gendry on her mind eliciting a range of weird and wonderful feelings in the pit of her stomach. 

She pulled into the driveway of her little cottage that was only a ten-minute drive from the school and right near the roaring coast of Shipbreaker’s Bay. She was grateful to rent such a quaint place by herself, after years and years of only affording shared apartments in Winterfell. 

Unlocking the door, she sighed as she entered her house and dumped her keys on an unopened box before marching to her kitchen to order a pizza and cracked open a bottle of cheap Dornish red wine, pouring it into a somewhat dusty wine glass. 

_ I’m going to stay here for the rest of the night. _

But she stared at her phone and thought of the family she had, scattered over the provinces of Westeros and how lonely she felt without their unbridled love and chaos. She opened up Sansa Stark’s contact and pressed the call button.

“Hey girl,” her sister answered, “How’s everything. Was just about to text you.” 

“Oh Gods, it’s been a crazy week,” she told her and rubbed her face. She truly was tired, extremely so, “I miss all of you, it’s weird not being a drive away from you. But… I kind of called to ask a question though.” 

“A question? You never ask for my advice,” 

“Yeah, yeah but this is something I don’t know too much about…” she bit her lip before taking a swig of wine. “I think I like one of my student’s… Parent?” 

“Arya, what the Hells? That’s bloody hilarious, leave it to you do something scandalous as soon as you leave,” 

She groaned and snuggled further down into her blanket, cringing at herself despite the liquid courage. 

“I don’t know okay? All I know is that he’s _ gorgeous _and he talked to me when his kid brought him in…” she groaned, “I literally just saw him at the shops, we talked and he looked even better up close? For fucks sake I don’t know, why can’t I like a guy that’s not assumably married?”

“And he’s exactly your type, isn’t he? This is gold Arya,” Sansa squealed into the phone, laughing, “Come on, show me what he looks like!”

“I don’t know!” Arya furrowed her brows, “Why would I have a picture of my student’s dad?” 

“I was thinking more along the lines of his Facebook or Linkedin, if he has one,” Sansa made a clicking sound at the end of her line, “What’s his name, I’ll find him.”

Arya sighed. 

“Gendry Waters,” 

“Easy, I’ll find him,” Sansa went silent for a few seconds, “Storm’s End, engineer?” 

“I don’t know what he does,” she said frustratedly. 

“Oh, this is definitely him, who’s got a name like Gendry. There’s a picture with a young girl on his Facebook. Really nice arms, blue eyes and that hair… Goddamn Arya, and he looks single as fuck!” 

“Wait, doesn’t he have a wife or something?” 

“I don’t see anything here, all the photos he has with this little girl are just the two of them,” Sansa commented and she sounded more like a detective than a woman most likely sitting respectively on the couch with her wife, Margaery, “How old are the kids you're teaching? 10 and 11? He looks pretty young to have a big kid." 

Arya thought about it and found it strange herself why Gendry looked so young when typical parents of her students looked much more mature. 

“Either way… Damn girl, you got yourself a real hottie,” Sansa smiled. 

“I haven’t ‘got him’ and I bet he would be horrified if ever heard about me crushing on him to my sister. But Seven Hells, it just kills me that…” 

“If he’s married, so what?”

“Sansa! Infidelity is not a joke, and although I believe that marriage is a scam I wouldn’t screw up someone’s relationship just because I want to fuck a guy,” 

Sansa just laughed.

“Well get onto it, do your research. I’m telling you there’s a huge chance he’s single and you are gorgeous so…” 

“Sansa, please check your facts.” 

“And you need to look in the mirror more often,” she told her and Arya rolled her eyes. 

“The pizza is here,” she lied, and rustled her blanket to feign distraction, “I need to go, talk to you later.” 

“You’re a dick Arya, I know your pizza isn’t here…”

“Bye!” she said, hanging up and letting out a loud sigh. 

Conveniently, the doorbell rang a couple of minutes later and she left to the door. Paying the young deliveryman and journeying back to the living room, she poured herself a glass and turned on Netflix sighing in her loneliness and what felt like a schoolgirl crush on the dark-haired man that plagued her consciousness. 


	3. stretched as thin as nylon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> gendry reflects on his life with barra and falls into a rut over a grey-eyed woman. time in the classroom doesn't go to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wrote the last bit of this in a chem course when my friend fell asleep cos the professor was really boring
> 
> thank u fineosaur and yanak324 for always being my little cheerleaders and both helping me try and find shit for the moodboard. yes i did edit the staple gun pic myself cos i got that desperate. 
> 
> i hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much as i do! 
> 
> (next chapter: parent-teacher interviews)
> 
> chapter title - nylon by kllo (please check them out!)

_**-Gendry-**_

Barra got into the jeep, swinging her school bag from her shoulder into the backseat. 

He smiled when he noticed the light in her cerulean eyes; a dancing simmer that he knew was due to a certain teacher. Thinking on it, he must have been guilty of the same disease, for after seeing her in the supermarket in her rumpled work clothes had seized his heart and looped repeatedly every night before he went to sleep for the entirety of the weekend. He was not only intrigued by Arya Stark, but he was also drawn to her like a moth to a flame and that very flame was the fact that the woman he was so enamoured by was his sister’s teacher. 

“How was your day?” he asked, starting his car.

She was glowing, positively beaming head to toe. 

“Miss Stark taught us Westerosi history today and we did a quiz, I got 94%!” she smiled and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, giving her a squeeze. 

“That’s my girl! I just knew you got those smart genes,” he couldn’t stop the grin that pulled at his lips. He loved when his sister was happy, it lit up his heart from the inside causing warmth to spill out to the extremities of his body. 

“Definitely didn’t get it from our drunk shit of a father!” she exclaimed. 

“Barra, come on, language,” he said sternly, “But yeah, you’re right. You didn’t get it from that drunk shit, that’s for sure” 

“Hey, you swore too!” she argued and he tutted. 

“I can swear cause I’m the boss and I’m bigger,” 

“I’m not bloody nine anymore Gen,” she whined and he chuckled before indicating out of the busy street onto their road. 

“You were last year,” he told her and watched her sulk, “You’ll always be my baby sister,”

He had been looking after Barra since she was five when her mother died; a raging drug addict to the very end who must have scored ‘lucky’ warming Robert Baratheon’s bed for one night. Unlike Gendry’s own mother, Barra was seriously neglected and he was only told about her by an anonymous email that stated he had a half-sister who was about to be dumped into the foster system. He had raced to King’s Landing, twenty-seven and just out of his Masters programme of Mechanical Engineering, and then a brother. He had remembered how Barra had wailed when they offered to take her to another place and how she looked up at him with identical ocean eyes when he walked in, telling the forces to fuck right off. He had brought her home, telling her stories about himself to quell her crying over the long, four-hour drive back to his tiny apartment in Storm’s End. She had fallen asleep by the time they got back and he carried her inside, tucking her underneath a sea of blankets and watched the tears slowly dry. He had vowed from that night on to look after her as well as he could, hoping that his early independence would give him a skillset enough to deal with a young girl. It hadn’t but he had opted to learn, as he was granted custody of Barra only a year later. After meeting several of his other half-siblings, they had all chipped in to support one another even if they lived all over the continent. Mya Stone was all the way in the Vale, coming down only when she could as her job as a tour guide in the mountains was demanding. Bella Rivers worked hard to look after her two kids in the Riverlands so she hardly ever made it down, but Gendry made sure he and Barra went to visit them regularly. He wasn’t quite sure what Edric Storm did, but either way, he knew he lived in Storm’s End and never had time for anyone. Gendry made sure Barra grew up with a family network she could rely on, not wanting her to grow up as he did; with no connections and bad foster families until he landed Davos and Marya Seaworth when he was seventeen. 

“Miss Stark came from Winterfell, she says the Stormlands reminds her of the North,” Barra said, hopping out the jeep as he picked up her school bag, “Sometimes she looks a little sad Gen, I think she misses her home.” 

Instantly, his thoughts went back to the grey-eyed culprit that vandalised his field of view. She was gorgeous and more than that, the interest, the passion and the intelligence he witnessed in her eyes was alluring. Gendry had never liked women who didn’t think beyond themselves, and although it might have been seen as fatuous, he had always appreciated intellect over physical looks. It was just a blessing or a curse from the Gods, he was still deciding, that Arya Stark had a large dose of both. 

“Well, it must be hard for her to leave her home,” he said, getting out his keys and unlocking the door, “You really like Miss Stark, don’t you?” 

Barra smiled at him as she toed off her shoes in the hallway. 

“She’s my favourite teacher ever! I think I’m going to make her some cookies tomorrow to make her feel better,” 

He chuckled, watching her skip to the kitchen and he dropped off her bag into her room that was a complete pigsty.

“Barra? Are the servants going to clean this atomic bomb up?” he yelled. 

“I’ll clean it up tonight!” 

“You better!” 

When she was six, Gendry could finally afford a little two-bedroom house just off the coast in a quaint little suburb out of the city centre. He loved everything about it; from the backyard that Barra still played into the short five-minute walk to the beach. Working in the big smoke for Mott’s auto shop company that taken big from its chain office in King’s Landing managed to pay the bills and kept them both relatively comfortable. But it wasn’t easy supporting the two of them all the time, he remembered on the weekends he had to work in the local garage just to make ends meet. Now that he was in a top tier position of the company, he both had enough funds and enough time to spend with Barra if she needed a ‘parent’s’ contribution at school. He thought he had it all; good house, someone to look after and an excellent job but he knew he was missing something. Davos often commented on his lack of female activity, saying that he was more than happy to look after Barra but Gendry was simply not interested. Not until _her._

“I’m taking a shower Bar, don’t burn the kitchen down!” he called out to her. 

“Don’t use up all the hot water!” she yelled back and he snorted. He knew his sister, and the concerts she had in the shower were detrimental to his bank account. 

He went inside his room and closed the door, taking off his slacks and his button-up shirt before kicking his fancy black shoes off into the corner of his room. Grabbing his towel, he walked to his ensuite and turned on the shower, adjusting the temperature with the tap until it was steaming, just the way he liked it. Shoving down his boxer briefs, and tugging off his socks, he stepped underneath the spray and closed the glass door, sighing in ecstasy as the hot water worked the coils in his shoulders. After a few seconds of utter bliss, he began to scrub the work off his skin. Soon he travelled south and looked up hesitantly before he ditched the soap and gave himself a few experimental pumps before he rested his forearm on the ceramic of the shower wall and conjured an image of Arya in the supermarket. He nearly doubled over when he thought of the scent of her shampoo in her hair or the light perfume she must have put behind her ears. She had been so close and the way she had smiled right up to him had made his heart beat a million miles an hour. If she was single, and he prayed to all the Gods she was, he could imagine her with him, sinking on her knees and taking...

He released himself with a shuddering groan, resting his head against the wall as he willed for his breathing to return to normal. He felt shameful in the afterglow of his premature orgasm, shameful that he couldn’t get Arya Stark out of his head, shameful that he couldn’t stop pining after his sister’s teacher. He cleaned himself and the wall up to forget it ever happened, washing himself with a little more soap to get the scent off him. 

*

“Miss Stark said she needs some help in the classroom to put up some posters,” Barra said to him when she walked up to the jeep. 

Having lecherous thoughts towards Barra’s teacher had made him grumpy the day before and Barra had definitely noticed his sudden change in mood. She had told him so when they were eating dinner in front of the television, which she knew wasn’t Gendry’s preferred seating when eating meals. But he really couldn’t think about anything else than his beer and the movie Barra decided to watch. 

“Are you asking me to come?” he confirmed and his sister nodded her head. 

“You’re super tall and the ladder is broken,” she told him and Gendry chuckled.

“Alright, but I can’t guarantee I won’t make short jokes,” he told her, getting out of his car, “You coming with?” 

“Could I go with my friends to the corner shop?” she asked, blinking her doe-eyes. 

He looked up to the group of girls. 

“Is a parent coming?” 

“Yeah,” she told him, pointing at one of the mothers he knew in passing. 

“Alright,” he fished out his wallet and pulled out a ten-dollar note, “Get me some of those bullets I like.” 

Barra made a disgusted face, “You’re the only one who likes them,” 

“Yeah, yeah. Get lost kid,” he chuckled and ruffled her hair until she gave him a huge frown before running off to her friends. 

He walked up to his sister’s classroom, his heart thudding in anticipation. He hadn’t seen Arya since the weekend before when he saw her in the supermarket. When he entered, he saw her stapling posters to the walls at her own height but the spaces to the places she could not reach were noticeably absent. 

He cleared his throat and watched her turn around; staple gun in hand and her grey eyes wide until she laughed, clutching her heart with a hand. 

“Seven Hells, I thought one my students went through puberty all of a sudden,” she chuckled and he threw his head back with laughter. 

“Don’t know if I should be insulted or chuffed,” he said, watching a smile take over her lips, “Barra said you needed someone tall.” 

“Oh definitely, I don’t know how one breaks a ladder. Do you?” she asked curiously and he shrugged his shoulders. 

“Couldn’t possibly tell you,” he chuckled, “You’re seeming to need my height a lot more frequently. Do you use all your students’ parents for stuff like this?” 

Gendry could have sworn he saw her face drop momentarily and a serious look took over her features and for what reason, he couldn’t comprehend. 

“I could just stand on the table Mr Waters, it’s not that hard. Barra just ran out before I could refuse your prince charming help.” 

He swallowed the lump in his oesophagus. 

“I’m happy to help,” he assured and walked towards her. He had an inkling that he pissed her off, “Whatever you need.” 

“Can you reach the top there?” she asked and pointed to the blank space. 

He observed several sheets of laminated posters and he nodded with a smile. 

_ Gods, I hope she’s single, _he thought. 

She had unbuttoned the first two buttons of her baby blue blouse so her collarbone was on full display and he could see the hint of a tattoo that must have curled around her shoulder.

He popped out the cuffs of his own work shirt and rolled the sleeves up. 

“Can I trust you armed?” she asked with a raised eyebrow, holding the staple gun to him followed by one of the large posters.

He couldn’t refuse to banter. If she did have a partner, it didn’t matter to him anymore for she was playing the same game as him. 

“I don’t know Miss Stark, can I trust you?” 

She gave him a wicked grin. 

“Oh definitely not,” she said and landed the first staple while still looking at her, “Are you watching what you’re doing?” 

“Definitely,” he mirrored and did the second one. 

There was a charge in the air, little slivers of electricity he could feel between them. He hoped it wasn’t only him that sensed the energy between them as he had not felt this strongly for a girl before. Not in the way he was completely and utterly drawn to Arya Stark. 

“You going to take all day?” 

He might have if that meant the time they were spending together grew longer. 

“How can someone so small be such a pain in my arse,’ he said under his breath and she laughed incredulously as he stapled the remaining corners into place. 

“Just those two left?” he asked and she nodded, passing him another, “Thanks.” 

“That accent is very…” 

“I’m originally from King’s Landing,” he said, giving her a smile, “Moved when I was twenty-six.” 

“Do you like it here more?” she asked and passed the remaining poster. 

“Of course, anything’s better than Flea Bottom,” he snorted and when he turned to see her confused face he quickly went to explain, “It’s the dirt bit of town, I was born and raised there till my mum died and well… A shithouse is one way to put it.” 

“It still must have been home,” she said with surprising tenderness.

“Yeah, I guess. We always take those things for granted I guess.” 

She looked at him thoughtfully for a moment before her brows creased. 

“I was wondering if you wanted to help out with the class production, they’re putting on a play that I’m in charge of and I need all the help I can get. I’m not sure if you were working…” 

“Of course, I’d be glad to help,” he agreed without missing a beat, “Anything really, I’d like to be there for anything.” 

She smiled, “I’ll get you more information when we meet next week for parent-teacher interviews next week,” 

“Sure,” 

She brushed off some invisible dust off the table before he found his voice again. 

“Arya, I…” 

A loud ringing sounded the room and before he could deduce it was a fire alarm, the water sprinklers went off, leaving them both saturated. Arya barely looked phased and she moved to the hallway to hit the stop button, Soon the spray ceased and Gendry shook his head like a mutt to get the water out of his hair. When he looked up, all the blood ran south. 

Arya’s thin blouse was soaked through and he could clearly see the outline of a _very _ lacy black bra that hugged her now visible, gorgeous curves. He shouldn’t have been ogling, he shouldn’t have stood there like an idiot but it was like he was a boy again and all he had was one brain cell and a bunch of hormones.

“That was bloody ridiculous, what if there was a computer in here?” she said, her short hair sticking to the nape of her neck, “They’re lucky this is an art room!”

“Arya…” 

“And to think they should know about the dangers of electrical fires! The children’s safety is at…”

“Arya,” he tried again and she looked at him with fire blazing in her eyes. He willed his eyes to stay on her face, “Your top.” 

She didn’t look like she was one to blush easily, but looking down and seeing her form made her turn crimson and wrap her arms around her torso. He shrugged off his blazer and handed it to her. 

“Take it, it’s a little wet but at least you’ll be covered,” he averted his eyes purposely. 

She hesitantly took it and he could hear the rustle of wet cloth as she put it on. 

“Thanks, Gendry,” she said and he looked back at her, completely dwarfed in his work blazer. 

He gulped, slightly disappointed he couldn’t see her form anymore but it was the look in Arya’s eyes that intrigued him nevertheless. 

“It’s no problem Arya, it’d be a dick move if I didn’t,” he told her genuinely and he prayed that the traitor in his slacks wouldn’t make itself visible, “Barra’s probably back from the corner store, I should go take her home so she can do homework.” 

Their eye contact was broken and Arya looked down at her feet almost nervously, “Of course, I should probably get home too. It looks like it's getting dark quite fast.” 

She grabbed her bag and he held the door open for her as they walked down the hallway to the outside courtyard, still completely drenched. Barra was there, sitting reading a book and as she looked up the two of them her brows scrunched together. 

“What happened?” Barra asked curiously, probably eyeing 

“The fire alarm was set off and the water sprinklers came on,” Arya explained, tugging the blazer tighter against her body, “My top got soaked through, so thankfully… Oh wait, you probably want this back…” 

“It’s fine, keep it. You can bring it back another day,” he insisted and she gave him an unconvinced look until she reluctantly acquiesced. 

“Thank you Mr Waters, it’s… It was really nice of you,” she said before getting her keys out, “See you tomorrow Barra.” 

“See you tomorrow Miss Stark,” his little sister beamed and Gendry picked up her school bag and swung it around one shoulder. 

“Have a good night you two,” Arya said and he nodded his head, giving a small smile, “I’ll email you about the school production and I guess I’ll see you for parent-teacher interviews soon as well.” 

“Yeah, you will,” he told her, “See you around.” 

He moved to put a hand on Barra’s shoulder to guide her to the carpark., “Come on kiddo, let’s go you home.” 

They walked to his car and she hopped into the front seat as he chucked her bag into the back.

“You gave her your jacket?” Barra asked as they sat in the jeep and Gendry’s head was still spiralling.

“It was the right thing to do,” he told her and started the car. 

“And you helped her in the classroom,” 

“You’re the one who asked me to help her and she couldn’t reach, she’s very short,” she reminded him. 

“And you’re going to help with the school play!” there was mischief in her eyes that he knew all too well. 

“Yes, because I want to be involved for you silly,” 

“You have a crush on Miss Stark!” she announced, giggling. 

Gendry felt his face flush with blood, “Barra! No, I don’t have a crush on your teacher! I couldn’t even…” 

“You do!” she insisted.

“No,” he corrected, “No, I do not.” 

Because he knew that wanking off to someone wasn’t just a crush, it was much more than that. A crush didn’t involve him have daily thoughts at work about fucking her into a mattress and simultaneously taking her out for dinner. 

“You’re her prince charming,’ she said, looking giddy like a princess. 

He snorted and thought of what Arya had said to him, knowing she probably wouldn’t appreciate the sentiment even from Barra.


	4. cuando no haya nadie cerca (when no one is near)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> parent-teacher interviews ensue and numbers are exchanged. arya gets to see another part of gendry and her feelings accentuate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im trying to get this out every few days (already not working) but i hope you guys enjoy it 
> 
> (thanks yanak324 for helping me flesh out this chapter, you mean the whole world to me and thanks to fineosaur for dealing with me trying to make a moodboard for this bitch)
> 
> any feedback or questions, you can find me on tumblr @ thelandofnothing

_ **-Arya-** _

Arya wasn’t looking forward to most of the parent-teacher interviews she was forced to go through that night, but when she saw that Gendry had booked his interview second to last she smiled. 

She wished he was last, so she could spend time getting to know him more. The way he smiled instigated a warmth that spread from her insides to the tips of her toes and she was sure no one had the capacity to do such a thing to her; physically, emotionally. But she focused on all the other interviews first as she did love her students, even the rag-tag troublemakers that reminded her of Rickon. She could see behaviour and actions that the parents exhibited that was mirrored in her students, some were arrogant, some were genuinely interested in the feedback she had for them. Either way, she had dedicated time to all of them, so by the time that eight pm rolled by, she was exhausted but motivated by the streamline of impressing her student’s parents. 

“Hey,” a voice called and she looked up to see Gendry, “Fancy seeing you here.” 

She laughed and his lips split into a wicked grin. 

“Take a seat,” she gestured to the slightly smaller chair. 

He smiled at her and sat down, his blue eyes glimmering. 

“So… Barra?” he asked, and she smiled. 

“I’m sure I’ve already told you all of this but Barra is a real gem to the class, always asking questions, eager to learn,” she said and he chuckled, “She’s really to be commended on her history test that she did recently, she’s taken a liking to the topics we’re covering.”

“I heard about that, she’s a clever thing isn’t she?” he leaned forward and she tried to keep her eyes off the way his muscles flexed under his dress shirt. He must have come straight from work. 

“Well apart from history, her Common Tongue is excellent as well. She has a higher intellectual understanding of reading and writing. Also, her mathematics has improved from the start of the year and she should be really proud about it,” Arya reported, clicking onto Barra’s file on her laptop, “I’ve noticed that she’s struggling a little bit with science, which I’m not teaching myself but…” 

“As long as she tries her best, that’s all I care about,” Gendry said with unhesitant confidence. 

“It’s nothing to be worried about per se, she’s not doing badly or anything. Just something to watch once she gets into middle school. Right now, it’s not really a problem,” 

“I understand, she’s always had a little bit of trouble concentrating but… She’s working on it, really pulling herself together,” he commented proudly and Arya quickly jotted down a few notes on a pad of paper. 

“It must be hard, you know, being a single dad and all…” 

“I’m not,” he interrupted, looking at her with confusion and her heart quickened with dread. 

_Oh Gods, oh Gods… He’s not single, is he? He’s been married the entire time. _

“Oh, but your wife isn’t…”

He shook his head with a laugh. 

“I’m Barra’s half-brother, I’ve looked after her ever since her mother died when she was five. We had the same whoring dad and I found out about her,” he said and her body froze. 

_You’re kidding…_

“And no, I don’t have a wife either, well yeah…” he scratched the back of her neck and she was pretty sure she couldn’t breathe, “I’m single, have been for a while so I can look after Barra.” 

“Oh,” was all she could say, “I understand that… I mean yeah, I’m single too because of the job and I used to look after my little brother but wow… I didn’t realise.” 

She could feel heat pooling in her lower belly as the air buzzed between them. She didn't need to say that yet...

_We’re both single, we’re both single…_

“It’s a tough world out there anyway,” he laughed almost nervously, “Never really been a dater; had to put myself through school first and then afford a place.” 

“What do you do, if you don’t mind me asking.” 

“Not at all, I’m an engineer and manager at Motts’ Auto’s branch in the city,” he said and she looked up in awe, “Yeah, it’s hard work but there’s also a lot of flexibility with the job so I’ve got time for Bar.” 

“That’s very admirable.” 

“It’s the right thing,” Gendry looked at her with a newfound seriousness that nearly blew her away, “I just can’t… I can’t even think of her going through what I did. She's my family, I would never abandon her.” 

“Barra is lucky to have you,” she smiled and watched his eyebrows rise. 

“Well, she’s lucky to have you as a teacher.” 

She felt warmth flood her chest and her breath catch in her throat. But instead of continuing to look at him with equivalent intensity, she averted her eyes and thought of something else to say.

“Did Barra tell you about the class bake sale?” 

“Faintly,” he said and she shuffled some papers in distractions, “It’s on Wednesday right?” 

“Yeah,” she said and made the mistake of looking back up to meet his gaze. “I thought it would be good to raise some money for this cancer charity I’ve always supported.” 

“That’s very admirable,” he mirrored with a cheeky smile which quickly turned tender. “It’s great to know someone still cares about that all… Not using it for attention or whatever. My mum… Breast cancer is a bitch and she fought it to the end. So many people pretend to care when they truly don't."

“I completely understand,” she said and he looked unconvinced, “My dad… He got it when he went down south for an important job. Some top gun stuff that just stressed him out when he could have been at home with us.” 

“I’m sorry…” but she shook her head. 

“Nothing to apologise for, but I appreciate it. I’m sorry about your mum too.” 

He cocked his head. 

“Yeah… Well…” he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, “What can you do?” 

“It never gets easier,” she said and her chest clenched painfully at the memory. 

“No, that’s the shit thing,” he agreed, looking away, “But I’m a lucky bastard, I’ve got Barra.” 

“And she’s got you,” she hit back quickly and he gave her an odd look, “Gendry, I…” 

“Hi, excuse Miss Stark but it's a quarter past eight. I have a meeting with you now,” a voice called from the doorway and she was met with the arrogant nose of another parent. 

“I’m sorry, I won’t be a minute,” she smiled back rather fakely, “It was nice to talk to you Mr Waters, you should be really proud of Barra.” 

“Yeah… Of course, thanks for your time,” he said and she could have sworn he looked disappointed, “See you around.” 

She watched him stand up and head out of the classroom. Part of her wished he’d turn around and give her one of his gentle smiles but he left without a second glance. 

*

She finished her last interview, looking at the time and nearly fainting. She would barely have time to go home and order something to eat. She had all that marking as well and the thought made her want to curl up into a ball. She collected her bag and locked up the classroom, saying goodbye to the few teachers who were still milling about. Heading to the carpark, she was stopped by a familiar figure. 

“Gendry?” she asked incredulously to see him leaning against the wall outside the school, “What are you still doing here?” 

“Oh,” he said nervously, “We just didn’t get to talk about the school production at all so… I thought maybe I’d wait. My sister Mya is in town so she’s looking after Barra for me…” 

She smiled and fished out her keys from her bag. 

“Mind if I walk you to your car,” he offered and she nodded her head. 

“It’s the end of the year and the play they’ve chosen for the class is Orys and Argella,” she smiled as they strolled leisurely to the school car park, “A more child-friendly one, of course, we’re not having anyone turning up naked and in chains. It’s quite a heavy story but the kids like it, the girls think that Orys is very romantic.” 

“Orys literally took her home from her,” he furrowed his brows and she let out a laugh. 

“They like the bit where she’s cloaked and protected from her own men… Made them all swoon,” 

“Let me guess, Barra was rolling her eyes,” Gendry laughed. Arya suspected that with a father who didn’t exactly scream fairytales, he didn’t expect anything else. 

“She liked the bit about Argella being the last Storm Queen,” Arya shrugged her shoulders, “I was exactly like her, I used to yawn and throw up where my sister used to make starry eyes. She’s a strong girl, that’s why I like her so much.” 

“No wonder she’s bloody in love with you then, you corrupting my sister Stark?” he teased. 

“In all the best ways Waters,” she returned and saw the corner of his eyes crinkle as he chuckled.

“Well keep it up, if girls are fawning over Orys Baratheon, humanity is still in trouble." 

They reached her car and she smiled.

“We just need some help setting up the hall, it’s in the middle of town which is a pain but…” 

“I work in the city, it’s no problem,” he said without a beat. 

“Well, that’s great… Hey, do you want to give me your phone number so I can text you about times?” 

He cocked an eyebrow in surprise and hesitated for a second before getting his phone out. 

“Sure, here… You can add your contact,” he gave her his phone and she quickly typed in her number and details.

“I’ll let you know... It’s nice having someone who wants to be so involved,” she felt her heart flutter nervously. 

_Get a grip Arya Stark, you’re acting like an idiot. _

“Yeah, that’ll be great… I’ll text you,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck, “Have a good night, Arya.” 

“Bye,” she barely whispered and watched him walk to his battered jeep.

When she lay in bed that night, the soft blankets encompassing her weary body, she couldn’t help but let her thoughts drift to Gendry Waters and his smile. She had his number now, she could physically text him anytime she wanted and he was single. But she could feel apart of her heart that was still closed off, the part that was scared of rejection. 

The sound of a notification lit up her phone screen, bathing the wall in blue light. She looked over and her heart quickened in her chest.

_ Hey, it's Gendry, not some weird dude. Hope you got home and safe and thanks for the chat. Let me know when I can help out. Night. _

Not knowing what to respond with, she sent him a thumbs-up emoji and turned her phone off, laying onto her back to stare at the ceiling. 

_I really like him_, she thought and it terrified her. 

* * *

She had the kids make Mother's Day cards the next day without realising it had been nine years since her own mother died. 

But as soon as she was reminded of her parents, she looked up to see Barra with tears in her eyes, not touching her art materials at all. She cursed herself and quickly finished helping one of her students cut out a flower before going over to her. 

“Hey Barra, how about you and I go for a walk?” she asked and the girl looked up to her curiously. 

“Why?” she said, her blue eyes glistening and they looked exactly like Gendry’s. 

“Just feel like we both need the air, Miss Heddle is in anyway, so don’t worry about anyone else."

She looked up and grabbed Jeyne’s attention, another teacher who was helping them out for the day and motioned she was heading out. The woman looked at her questionably but simply nodded with a small smile. 

“Come on,” she said, holding out an outstretched hand for Barra to hold. 

The girl rubbed her nose on her sleeve and grabbed Arya’s hand and they walked out of the classroom. She walked them out to the little veggie garden and sat them down on the bricks so Barra could play with the flowers. 

“Mother’s Day is hard for me too, you know,” Arya started, remembering the few times she had this talk with boys and girls who didn’t have mothers, “I lost my Mummy too.” 

Barra looked up with surprise. 

“Oh,” the girl said, twisting the blade of grass in between her fingers, “I didn’t know that.” 

“I only tell special people,” she smiled.

Barra smiled at that but was still focused on the grass. 

“Gendry won’t tell me how my mummy died but I remember. She took a lot of bad stuff and shouted at me sometimes,” the girl said and Arya’s heart clenched, “But Gen tries really hard, he’s the best brother ever. Do you have any brothers, Miss Stark?” 

“I have four,” she said and Barra’s eyes widened, “Five if you include my old foster brother.” 

“Wow, I only have two, do you have any sisters like me?” 

“I have one, her name is Sansa.” 

“I have two… But I don’t really see them because they live far away… But my big sis Mya is here for the week! We watched a movie yesterday when Gen was out.”

“That sounds like fun,” she smiled. 

Barra let out a little smile, which was progress if Arya was being honest with herself. 

“You know something, Mother’s Day doesn’t have to be about mummies. It can be about any girl in your life.”

“Really?” 

“Yeah, of course, you can celebrate it with your big sister Mya if you want.”

Barra looked at the strand of grass in her hand thoughtfully.

“Are there lots of girls in the world who don’t have mummies?” 

She nodded her head a little sadly. 

“I’m going to make something for Mya,” she announced and she smiled watching the girl stand up ambitiously, “Come on Miss Stark, I’m going to paint her a picture.” 

Arya watched as the girl ran off in the direction of their classroom and she pulled her phone out, pulling up Gendry’s contact and calling him. 

“Hey, Arya is everything alright?” he responded almost immediately. 

“It’s just Barra... Mother's Day and all," 

"Shit, I bloody forgot. I'll be there as soon as I can." 

"No worries just wanted to let you know." 

"Thanks, see you both soon." 

He hung up and she felt her fingers twitch not knowing whether it was appropriate to personally message Gendry even if was about Barra.

*

“Gen!” Barra called and ran out to the hallway. 

Arya looked up to see the man pick her up in his arms and hold her close, kissing the top of her head as she cried. He wiped the tears away with his thumb. 

“It’s alright little love, I’m here now,” he held her, “No need to cry anymore, okay?” 

Barra just wrapped her arms around his neck tighter as he swayed her.

“Hey,” Arya said softly and Gendry looked down at her, “Been rough…”

“Yeah,” he sighed and rubbed a hand up and down his sister’s back, “Always is on this day.” 

“We’ve been making something for Mya,” she told him and he furrowed his brows, “Want to see?” 

He nodded curiously, and put his sister down, following her to the art room. 

“Look, Gen, do you think she’ll like it?” she sniffled and Gendry’s face lit up with awe. 

They had decided to do a painting of Barra’s whole family; Gendry, Mya, Bella and her two kids and even Edric that she didn’t see too much of. Arya felt incredibly lucky when she talked about her home life and how she loved her family. It was the degree of trust that she strived to receive from most of her students. 

“This is amazing. Of course, she’ll love it,” Gendry smiled and gave her a kiss on the cheek. 

“You can go home Barra, you don’t have to stay at school if you don’t feel like it,” she told her young student and she looked up at Gendry expectantly. 

“You wanna come home?” 

“Yeah,” she said, “But I wanna finish this first. You can watch if you want Gen.” 

“Alright,” he said and Arya pulled him up a stool so he could sit. 

He took it from her and his hand brushed over hers, sending a jolt of electricity up her arm. 

“Sorry,” he mumbled in a deep voice and her insides turned to liquid. 

“No problem,” she smiled and looked away. 

Ever since they both admitted they were single, Arya knew the energy had changed between them. It would take bravery on her part to make a move, but she truly didn’t know if that would be met with mutual interest or complete disgust. How did one go about asking their student’s legal guardian out?

Gendry looked up at her as Barra began to paint the sky of the picture with her fingers, mixing the paint almost expertly. 

He mouthed a thank you and Arya cursed her weak heart for stammering when all she wanted to do was ask him out for a beer. 


	5. television tuned the sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> gendry goes to help which leads to an impromptu pub meeting. baking ensues but so does something else

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im so sorry i took so long to get this out, i've been really stuck on the flow of this particular chapter but i hope you guys enjoy this one. 
> 
> i think i'll see how i go but expect one or two more chapters of this fic before i need to go into study mode (and painfully stop writing for a bit cos of exams). 
> 
> kudos and comments make my day! 
> 
> thank to yanak324 for helping me unstick all the stupid bits, really appreciate you :) 
> 
> song title - dance forever die together by current joys

**-Gendry-**

Gendry didn’t know what to expect when he turned up at the modern-looking hall in the middle of town to help out Arya. 

He definitely didn’t expect her to be wearing a work shirt that was too translucent to be professional, tucked into a pair of form-fitting work pants. He knew he was staring, and part of him couldn’t be bothered to contain himself. There must have been a reason why Arya told him she was single, there couldn’t have been any other explanation in her hurried tone other than letting him know she was available. He didn’t know where his newfound confidence had arisen from, but he just knew he had to ask her out afterwards.

“Hey, did you find everything alright?” she asked and he was shaken out of his stupor. 

“Yeah, it’s busy out there,” he shrugged off his blazer and laid it on an unoccupied chair, “Nearly end of school for the kids I guess.”

“It must be, I had to catch a tram in,” she sighed, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, “My car’s engine went bust this morning.” 

“Well, I could take a look at it,” he offered nonchalantly. 

“What?” she looked up with surprise. 

“Yeah, I used to be a mechanic,” he told her and her face lit up with awe, “It’d be no problem.” 

“I’d pay you…”  
  


“No, it’s completely fine. I’ve got the tools in my car,” he tapped the fabric of his slacks, “I don’t charge friends for that kind of stuff either.” 

She cocked an eyebrow almost playfully. 

“We’re friends now, are we Waters?” 

He smirked. 

“I don’t see you giving this kind of special treatment to any other parents,” he told her and she scoffed and looked away. 

“Yeah, yeah. You got me there,” he saw the little smile that graced her lips. 

“So,” he rubbed his hands together, “Where to start?” 

She pointed to some boxes on the left of the stage, “Set design hasn’t finished yet but the kids just finished their auditions which was… Undeniably painful.” 

He let out a laugh.

“Thank the Gods you’re not doing a musical, Barra likes to sing in the shower and it is not good for anyone’s eardrums,” 

Arya laughed and raised her eyebrows, “I’ll keep that in mind for future years.” 

He popped his cuffs and rolled the sleeves of his shirt up to his arms, “Those boxes need lifting?” 

“Yeah, we’ll do the unpacking later. It’s all the set and prop materials but we’ll start with getting the chairs all set up. I reckon you could start in that corner and I’ll be over here. Just yell if you need me,” 

He nodded and did as he was bid; moving away dusty boxes to make room for the lines of stacked chairs. Once they began to work, he lifted his eyes every once in a while to see her moving things, unpacking boxes, her legs flexing underneath her tight-fitting pants. She looked up and saw his eyes on her, lips parting momentarily before she averted her gaze and smiled to herself. They played the same little game for another hour before he was sure that every single chair had been set up in neat rows. He looked up and saw her concentrating on her effort of sorting out props. 

“Hey Arya,” he called, “Doing anything tonight?” 

Her face stilled with surprise before she shook her head, “Not that I can think of.” 

“Do you want to go get a beer?” he asked and swallowed nervously. 

Suddenly her eyes lit up and her lips cracked into a gorgeous smile.

“Yeah, of course. That sounds nice. Do you wanna finish up now?” 

He nodded his head, looking down at his watch to check the time. Nearly ten o’clock at night, Mya and Barra were going to give him a lashing when he came home. Either way, his heart thumped in his chest excitedly as he picked up his blazer and followed her out the hall, holding open the door and closing it so she could lock it up. 

“I know a place a little further down, we’ll have the drive but I can promise us a car park,” he told her, burrowing his hands in his pockets, waiting for her to walk up to him. 

“Alright, what about Barra though? Is she alright with Mya?” 

“Oh, yeah I’ll just text her. Mya’s here for a month because of a bad break up,” he pulled out his phone and quickly sent a text to his older sister that he wasn’t coming home till late, “Barra and her are planning their trip to the Riverlands to see my other sister in the holidays..” 

“Can’t you go?” she asked and he walked them to his car. 

“Work,” he simply replied, unlocking the car and opening the door for her, “Bastard’s luck.” 

“You didn’t have to do that,” she raised an eyebrow, “I’ve got two working arms.” 

He rolled his eyes at her and waited until she sat down in the seat before closing it. He walked around the other side and planted himself in the driver’s seat. 

“Don’t murder chivalry like that, my mum would be devastated that all her work went to waste,” 

Arya threw her head back and laughed and he couldn’t help but grin himself. Her smile was infectious and as he started the car and pulled away from the curb, he could feel her warm gaze gentle on his figure. 

“You don’t look like someone who’s got time to go to pubs,” 

“I don’t normally, and I know I’m not technically a parent but…”

“But you do more than what I see most parents do,” she returned without hesitation and he dared himself to take his eyes off the road, “And remember, I’ve seen a lot of parents.” 

Instead of replying, he let out a soft smile and returned his focus on finding a park. 

“Mya’s also staying with us for a while to give me a break, haven’t had this much free time for a while,” he sighed and he could see her playing with her bag in her lap, “I love raising Barra, it’s the best decision I have made in my life.” 

“I can tell,” she raised an eyebrow and he pulled into the discrete car park behind the old pub. 

  
  
  


*

  
  
  


“So why Storm’s End?” he asked her as she lifted the beer bottle to her crimson lips. 

He could imagine kissing her right now, tasting the alcohol on her tongue and watching her grey eyes go molten. However, as stupid of a thought it was, Gendry knew their interaction wasn’t as one-sided as he might have initially thought. When he looked at her she was smiling, her eyes gleaming almost uncharacteristically. Part of him hoped it was because she was enjoying the time with him, she had looked so tired and almost a little dismayed at the thought of having to catch the tram late at night all the way from town. The way she leaned up against the bar was an indication as well he supposed; her body was contorted to face him as she leant her face on the palm of her face. He hadn’t been out with a woman in a long time but he never remembered anyone making an effort to utilise the kind of body language that Arya Stark did. 

“I’d been teaching in Braavos for a while and went back home to Winterfell, it’s not the same as it was when I was a kid. All my siblings have their own lives with their own partners so there wasn’t much to do. Plus, no jobs,” she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, “I got offered a job here and said ‘fuck it’, what do I have to lose?” 

“You don’t regret it?” he asked and his heart filled with relief when she shook her head, smiling. 

“I don’t have any family here but what about it? King’s Landing is a three-hour drive, it’s not the end of the world,” 

“It’d suck not having the connections though,” 

She shrugged her shoulders. 

“I’m used to it, in Braavos I had no one at all and it was quite thrilling,” she smiled to herself as if she was reminiscing about her past, “Yeah of course sometimes it was hard and I got homesick but I think that was because I didn’t have my puppy.” 

“You have a dog?” he asked suddenly and she smiled. 

“They flew her down from Winterfell yesterday,” she smiled and he laughed. 

“Gods, don’t tell Barra, she’ll be begging for one,” 

They fell into a comfortable silence, letting the chatter of the late-night bar fill the space between them which was as charged as particles. His mind seemed to take the same chaotic state, as his thoughts danced all over his consciousness. He took a deep breath, chugging the rest of his beer and hoping the liquid courage was enough to face her. 

“Hey, I was wondering… I don’t know if I’m overstepping boundaries but I really want to do something nice for this bake sale and for Barra… I can’t bake for shit so…” 

Her grey eyes went wide like dinner plates. 

“I was wondering if you’d help me make something for Barra,”

“At your place?” 

“At my place, yeah…” he tried and watched as she computed. 

Suddenly her face lit up with a smile. 

“No, that’s fine! It’s great… I’m just blown away and at how dedicated you are. Of course, I’ll come stupid. Anything to show off my skills.” 

He felt his heart fly a million miles an hour. 

“Well, I’ll warn you in advance. I’m bloody hopeless,” he told her making her laugh, her hair falling over her face in a way that made him want to tuck a loose strand behind her ear. 

Retaining what common sense he had left, he tapped his beer bottle on the table and asked for the tab. 

“Gendry, I can pay…” 

“Nah, it’s alright. I dragged you out this late,” he told her as he pulled out his wallet. 

_I can pay for a couple of beers. _

“I’ll drop you home, it’s too late to catch the tram,” he told her and he could see her cheeks were a little pink. 

“If it’s no bother,” she bit her lip and all the blood rushed south. 

He held open the door for her and let her stumble through. 

“It’d never be a bother,” he said under his breath but the look on Arya’s face said to him that she had heard it well enough. 

  
  


*

Once he followed Arya’s slurred directions, they made it her little cottage that was close to the beach. He thought it must have been nice to live so close to the ocean, he remembered in King’s Landing where the smell and the amount of oil drove everyone away. But once he moved to Storm’s End he was surprised to see how many people frequented the coast. 

“I’ll walk you up,” he offered but she shook her head. 

“You don’t have to,” she said and he chuckled. 

“I want to,” he insisted and she laughed, loud and unfiltered. 

“You’re stubborn, anyone ever tell you that?” she grinned and opened the car door. 

He followed her, watching her fish her keys out as they walked up the path to her door. 

“My mum, my foster dad… Who else? Barra, Mya…” 

“Okay, okay I get it,” she laughed, throwing her head back, “It’s common knowledge, huh?” 

“Best to learn that about me,” he told her quietly and she raised an eyebrow. 

“Is that so?” 

He cocked his own brow in return and her face suddenly went tender. 

“Thanks for tonight Gendry, it was… It was great, it’s good to know I have a friend here,” 

He smiled and scratched the back of his neck nervously. 

“Anytime Arya, have a good night,” 

“Night,” 

He watched her slip through the entrance of her house, waving at him as she disappeared behind the closed door. He sighed and dug his hands into his pockets, strolling down the pathway back to his car with his heart a little lighter. 

* * *

  
  


They texted and organised a time for Arya to discreetly come to his place to help with baking the cookies for the bake sale and found one afternoon where Barra and Mya would be out to be their advantage. 

By six o’clock one night, he shoed the girls from the house and cleaned up the place for Arya’s arrival. 

_ The pub wasn’t a date and this is not a date, get over yourself. _

While he chucked some of Barra’s dirty laundry in the hamper, he could feel his heart grow heavy with apprehension. Maybe she didn’t see him as anything more than eager ‘parent’ who wanted to help out the school community. Maybe she needed that drink because she was tired and had no connections in Storm’s End...

His train of thought was interrupted by a knock on the door and he immediately checked himself in the mirror before rushing down the hallway. He opened the door and saw Arya with her pretty smile and grey moon eyes staring up at him. She looked exceptional today; she wore a little button-down shirt and jeans that made her look more comfortable than her usual work pants. 

“Hi,”

“Hey,” he managed and he saw she had a mixing bowl in her hands filled with butter and other utensils, “Sorry, come in.” 

“Barra here?” she asked as she followed him through the hallway, shucking off her slip-on shoes. 

“Mya and her went to terrorise our other brother Edric,” Gendry scoffed and led her to the kitchen, “He’s got some posh flat in the middle of town and doesn’t like me that much.” 

“Oh, sounds like you’re not missing out on much then,” 

“Yeah, definitely,” he watched her as she looked around, absentmindedly placing down the utensils on the small kitchen counter, “Thanks for doing this, by the way, I don’t know what regulations I’m breaking…” 

“Don’t be stupid,” she smiled, “It’s not like you’re a parent, we’ll be fine.”

“It’s for a cause,” he said, tapping his forehead and she raised her brows. 

“Where to start?” 

“Well… I was thinking of cookies? Is that too crazy?” 

She laughed and circled the kitchen island to reach him, “Yeah that’s fine, surely you can’t fuck it up that hard.” 

“Oh ho, don’t even try me, woman,” he warned her, grinning. 

They set to work, Arya ordering him around the kitchen to the steps of a simple cookie recipe she knew by heart. 

“For someone who used to be a mechanic, you’re useless in the kitchen,” she told him as he managed to get flour absolutely everywhere. 

“I can make a decent dinner,” he told her with a sigh, “It’s just baking, I don’t know what happened in the womb but the Gods surely cursed my baking skills.” 

“I’ll have to be the judge of that,” she smirked and he didn’t miss the implication. 

Once they had managed to make a decent batter, they worked together to put the dough on the baking paper of the only oven tray that Gendry owned. His globs of dough were much too chunky and mismatched compared to Arya’s

“For fuck's sake Gendry,” she sighed, shaking her head, clearly amused, “Here let me show you.” 

She stepped in front of him, holding his hands to show him how to use the small ice cream scooper to put a small ball of dough onto the paper. It wasn’t just his heart that was excited where her hands circled his forearms, he just hoped that she didn’t lean back for any reason. 

“There,” she announced, twisting her head to look up at him, “Not so hard right?” 

“Shut up,” he pouted and she laughed at him, moving away to bring the trays to the oven, “How long are we putting them in for?” 

“I usually go for 15 to 20 minutes, but we’ll keep having to check…”

He threw a handful of flour at her before she could finish. 

“I’m going to kill you Waters!” she said and he laughed as she chased him around the kitchen, throwing flour at him too. Once there was more flour on her rather than in the cake, his heart nearly stopped. Arya Stark was a beautiful woman, more so than anyone else he had ever met. He couldn’t help himself anymore, he reached forward and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, moving forward to press his lips against hers. Warmth surged through his muscles but nearly as quickly as it started, he froze and pulled back. 

“Have I overstepped? Seven Hells, fuck I’m so sorry Arya…” 

He was interrupted by the weight of her arms as they wrapped around his neck. 

“Shut up,” she told him quietly and pressed her lips against his again. 

She pushed into him, and he moved an instinctive hand to her waist. They worked in tandem; to nip and pull against one another other and as he let out a soft groan, he put both hands on her hips and hoisted her up, her calves promptly curling around the waistband of his jeans. He turned around and deposited her on the kitchen bench, stepping in between her legs to claim her lips deeper by pressing his body against hers. 

Pulling away for air, he rested his forehead against hers and let out a breathy laugh as Arya stared up at him with a smile on her face. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


In the living room, Mya had sneaked through the back to collect her forgotten wallet and smiled knowingly at the scene of her brother. 

  
  



	6. ‘cause you know i’ll answer, always and forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> gendry comes over to fix cars and arya's growing frustration with a certain blue-eyed man. 
> 
> one night working in the hall changes things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been sooo long but i've had the worst writer's block on this story and couldn't even push out a chapter during procrastination time when i had my exams. but finally here it is
> 
> thank you to my love yanak324 for always helping me out. 
> 
> this chapter is dedicated to my babe ohnoshefell who literally keeps me alive with her pretty face and amazing writing. pls check out her stuff if you haven't. 
> 
> hope you guys like this one! things are moving fast but in a pace that i find the most naturalistic to this setting. any comments or feedback would be greatly appreciated! 
> 
> warning in advance about the car stuff, im going by the stuff i learnt in chem and if it's wrong, it's probably cos i'm trying to stick it in a flirty format 
> 
> enjoy :)
> 
> (chapter title from the song open letter - temporex)

**-Arya-**

She always admired the little backyard porch of her house, where she could see the waves crashing from in between the lines of the trees. 

After being with Gendry and passing through the threshold of their flirtation by kissing him in his kitchen, the world seemed to take on a new form. Arya felt as though she could now go about her day with the lightness of being admired which in all honesty was something she couldn't comprehend conforming to so easily. She leant back and lifted her gaze to the sky, admiring how the sky stretched out across the bright blue canvas; an unfamiliar sight in the Stormlands. She learnt quite quickly that the Stormlands upheld its namesake to very high standards. 

Her phone buzzed and she looked down at the lit-up screen.

_ Gendry: hey, i can come around this afternoon if you still need your car fixed _

She looked back into the house and bit her lip with excitement. 

_ Arya: i completely forgot about it, weather’s been nice so that i’ve been walking to school_

_ I would really appreciate it though _

She tapped her nails on the glass of the phone as she waited for a response. Gendry didn’t make her nerves stand on end, not in the way that teenagers usually dreamt of, much like her sister did many years ago. Gendry made her heart lull like the sea out over the cliffs off Shipbreaker’s Bay and for that, Arya knew that their attraction meant more than a fleeting kiss in his kitchen. 

_ Gendry: I can come in an hour if you want _

_ Barra is at a friend’s house _

Nymeria whined as Arya had gripped her fur too hard. 

“Sorry pup,” she cooed and smoothed her coat out as her husky yawned, returning back to her initial sleeping position on the porch, “Just nervous. You’re going to meet Gendry today girl, he’s coming around later.”

Nymeria ignored her and continued to doze under the warmth of the midday sun which Arya understood quite well. Her wolf pup had accustomed to the warmer climates almost surprisingly fast but it was thanks to the breeze they got by the sea that kept the air crisp and sharpened with a salt-like bite. 

_ Arya: that would be great _

_ See you then :) _

_ Gendry: see you then _

Arya felt revitalised by their small text exchange, knowing it was silly to think so. She never had the opportunity to engage in a flirtation with anyone in Braavos; her workdays were too long and the nightlife had gotten boring after the first year. Besides, dating was never her forte, she always thought that the few people she had met were a little too desperate for her liking. Perhaps, if she had gone out while she had still been in university then it would have been more successful but she had been dead set on travelling out of Westeros ever since she was in high school. 

She gave Nymeria one last rub and got up to walk through the backdoor, bringing up Sansa’s contact. 

“Hey Red Wolf,” 

“Please tell me he’s not married,” 

“Nice to hear from you too,” she rolled her eyes and picked at a nail, “No, he’s not married and my student isn’t his daughter.” 

“Then…?”

“It’s his half-sister, he took over guardianship of her five years ago when her mother died,” she told her sister, “He didn’t want her to go through the foster system.”

“Woah… Arya, that’s insane.” 

“I know right.” 

“So… Why are you calling me?” 

Arya bit her lip to hide a smile as she went into her bedroom and promptly opened her wardrobe. 

“Because we might have kissed on the weekend… While I was baking with him at _ his _house.” 

Sansa squealed on the other side of the phone so loud that Arya had to move her phone away from her ear to save her eardrums. 

“You’re kidding? That’s amazing Ar, go you!” 

“I have a question though,” Arya looked pathetically amongst her clothes, “What kind of get up screams ‘I definitely wore this for you but it’s not like I put much effort into it’. He’s coming over to fix my car in an hour.” 

“Seven Hells Arya, you have not given me much time to work here hun,” she heard a rustling sound before her sister returned, “It’s hot there right? Wear something to show your legs off and a light top… Show off some shoulders!” 

Arya rolled her eyes and put her phone on speaker as she rummaged through her summer wear, “Shoulders, how scandalous.” 

“Found anything?” her sister asked. 

Arya lifted up a dark blue top with noodle string straps that she didn’t even know she owned. 

“Just this nice blue singlet I think you bought for me,” Arya commented.

“The navy one? Oh yeah, pair it with those white cotton shorts I got you too,” Sansa replied.

She snorted and dug out the shorts. Sansa always seemed to know what was in Arya’s closet better than she did and distance had never been a problem.

“He’s going to trip over his own dick when he sees you,” Sansa announced and she rolled her eyes. 

“You’ve never even met the guy.”

“Don’t need to, I know he’s whipped,” her sister’s sing-song voice bounced through her ear, “He’s asked you to his house to bake, he’s the only parent to help out with setting up the hall and now he’s coming to fix your car? Arya, come on I thought you were smarter than that. Plus you just told me you guys kissed!” 

Arya went to her small bathroom and worked the knots out of her hair. 

“I just… I’m not used to it alright?” she sighed and her sister went quiet, “I know you’ve been through literal hell and back but I haven’t even gotten lucky with anyone. You have Margarey, Jon has Satin, Robb has Theon and even Bran! Bran has bloody Jojen. And don’t even get me started about mum and dad. I’ve never been able to let people in and then this guy comes along and all care is thrown to the wind… I feel like…” 

“Well, you haven’t heard about Rickon and Lyanna then…” Sansa attempted a joke and Arya frowned. Her sister knew even how to piss her off through the phone, “Look babe, I know mum’s always been on your back about it but just don’t think about it too much. You’ll know if it’s serious. I need to run off though, Marg and I are having lunch with the Tyrells.” 

“Alright, thanks for the help Sans.” 

“Anytime Arya, seriously, anything you need, I’m just a call away.” 

She smiled at her sister’s insistence. Sometimes she didn’t understand how they were such enemies when they were younger, but the memories of taunting and Sansa’s romanticisation of love flooded her consciousness. There were plenty of reasons why Arya had chosen to stay well away from her family, and being reminded of her youth was one of those reasons. 

“I know, talk later,” Arya said, biting her lip and hanging up. 

She looked at her reflection in the mirror and saw a younger version of herself stare back. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


*

  
  


“Hey,” he said, giving her a smile. 

She eyed him as he stood outside the front door. He was wearing a grey shirt with a pair of scuffed denim jeans. He looked good, better than good. 

“Hi,”

He gave her a glance over and rubbed the back of his neck almost shyly. 

“You look nice,” he said, his voice low. 

“So do you,” she returned without hesitation, “Thanks for coming, by the way.” 

He smiled as she slipped on some shoes and joined him outside, “Anytime Arya.” 

She led him to the garage where her bust car lay, the garage door already half-opened. They took turns crouching underneath the roller gate. She unlocked the car and let Gendry take a look. 

“So it’s the engine, you reckon?” he asked her, cocking an eyebrow as he sat in the driver’s seat after turning on the car. 

“That’s what my brother said to me on the phone, he got me the car when I came back to Westeros,” she explained and he nodded thoroughly. 

She watched as his brows furrowed in concentration as he tried to start the ignition. 

“Well, it could be the battery, but I’ll pop the hood and check it out,” he surveyed and she stood back as he got out of the car. 

“It’s hot, do you want something to drink while you work?” she asked and she could have sworn she saw his eyes trail down her bare legs, “Juice? Water?” 

_ Sansa might have been right. _

“Water is fine,” he smiled at her and she nodded, going back into the house. 

She took out her phone and sent a quick text to Sansa that her clothing help might have worked like a charm. When she walked out after locking her phone, she nearly dropped the glass and the jug.

Gendry _ fucking _Waters was half-way through taking his shirt off and wiping the fabric across his brow. She watched him for a second as he tossed the fabric at his feet. She noticed the muscles in his back first, as he twisted and bent over the car she could see his skin ripple sending delightful little shocks straight to her core. 

_ Surely there’s a safety precaution about not wearing clothes and fixing cars… _

“Got anything better to do?” he asked her, breaking out of her impasse. 

She felt a wave of confidence as she swallowed and took a step closer to him as he was bent over the hood, fiddling with the engine. She didn’t even need to meet his gaze to know that he was smirking by his nonchalant appearance. 

“You finished fixing my car?” she teased right back. 

_ Two can play at this game. _

He chuckled and cocked an eyebrow. 

“I expected you to own a merc by the way,” he said, turning his back, “Being a Stark and all.” 

Arya scoffed and set his drink down on a bench where he could reach it. 

“What? Didn’t think I could piece together you were old money?” he quipped but his face fell immediately when he saw her expression. People commenting on her wealth had always done its best to make Arya feel insecure, notably why she tried her hardest not to mention her last name to people. She guessed it was inevitable being a teacher, “Look, I didn’t mean it in _ that _way… My father is a Baratheon and that’s huge in this neck of the woods. I know you earn your own way, I can tell, so I didn’t mean to…” 

“Shut up and fix my car Waters,” she snapped playfully, smiling to ease his rambling. 

He hesitated for a split second until he smirked. 

“As m’lady commands,” 

She scowled. 

“Don’t call me that.” 

“You are though, aren’t you? A rich girl?” 

“And how many rich girls do you know Gendry?” she asked him with a raised brow. 

He looked at her with his mouth open for a second until he closed it and shook his head, chuckling. 

“None.” 

She raised an eyebrow, “Let’s keep it that way.” 

He looked at her thoughtfully for a moment and then abruptly returned to his work on the car. 

“Seems to just be some debris in here, I’ll clean it up and see if that engine wants to start… I’m also going to check if there’s a problem with the coolant levels in the radiator reservoir. If not, we might need to get you a new battery.” 

“Is there enough oil?” she asked curiously, “I heard that if you don’t have enough lubrication…” 

He stared at her for a moment, his blue eyes blinking. 

_ Oh for fuck's sake, what are you saying? _

“Yeah totally, one of the main reasons for engine failure is lack of engine lubrication because it causes metal on metal contact. That just wears down the engine and the internal parts. But I’ve been able to check that… There seems to be enough oil… Might be a coolant issue,” 

“What can that cause?” she asked, her natural teacher’s curiosity coming out to play but she could feel the energy between them simmer.

“Overheating,” he said with a straight face and she swore his eyes grew two times darker, “You can get cracks in the cylinder head… Either way, I won’t know unless I bring it into a garage.”

_ Overheating indeed, I feel like I’m going to completely combust around this man. _

She was drawn out of her daze when Gendry closed the hood of her car and turned his gaze on her. Something about the warmth of his eyes kept her anchored, a feeling so foreign to her that she was convinced it was a dream. In normal cases, she had used to always have an affinity for running away before she could get hurt and although she managed to avoid the soul-crushing weight of rejection, she seemed to miss out on the key interactions and road to comfortable companionship with someone she could trust. Her feelings for Gendry however, were more overwhelming than she could have ever been able to comprehend and it was the exact opposite of running away that she felt with him. She felt confidence in acting on these feelings so instantaneously, and that only enunciated her attraction for him.

She looked up to him and raised an experimental eyebrow, keeping her eyes locked on his as they observed her; flickering like ocean waves. He closed the bonnet lightly. 

“Arya I…” 

She surged forward and kissed him, stepping on the tips of her toes to reach his mouth and steady herself against his bare shoulders. For a split second, she was worried that he might recoil and ask her what she was doing but her insecurities were diminished when he pushed against her. She hoisted herself up and Gendry caught her hips, ploughing her mouth with a sweet assault that seemed to match his calm and gentle nature with a tantalising juxtaposition. She assumed she could attempt to coax some kind of fire in him, one that she could sense pulsing through the prominent vein in his neck under his skin and the clench in his jaw. Gendry deposited her on the hood of the car, her weight making the metal creak slightly but neither of them cared enough to stop. He attacked her mouth but gradually navigated away and sought the expanse of skin under her jaw and down to her neck where he ghosted a line with his lips up to her ear lobe.

Arya busied herself with running her hands down Gendry’s somewhat dirty chest; lined with a tad bit of car grease and sweat that made her lower belly throb with the kind of girlish anticipation that she had only read about. His teeth latched onto her neck just underneath her ear and she felt him suck gently until she let out a soft moan to the behest of his ministrations. 

Suddenly the loud sound of a ring tone sounded her garage and she felt Gendry jolt away from her neck as he reached for his phone lying on one of her bookshelves against the wall.

“Fuck, sorry it’s Barra,” he made a face of frustration as he answered the call, “Hey what’s up?” he asked, a little breathless but attempting his best to appear unaffected. She heard incomprehensible babbling on the other side of the phone of who she could only assume was his sister, “Now? I literally just dropped you an hour ago?” 

Gendry went silent as he heard the babbling again so she took the time to slide down from the car and straighten out her mussed hair, trying to calm down her erratic breathing. Gendry was a _ good _kisser and in the few seconds of them clambering all over each other, he had done quite a number on her. 

“Okay, I’ll be there soon,” Gendry sighed and hung up, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“Is Barra alright?” she asked and he raised an eyebrow at her. 

“Nah… I guess she’s always… She’s always had a problem with her friends, she finds it hard to socialise really… I don’t blame her, everyone can be so picture-perfect here,” he sighed again and she resisted the urge to stroke his arm and tell him that it would be alright, “I don’t know, maybe I don’t have the ability to teach her how to make friends…”

“She might just be an introvert,” Arya told him and he let out a humourless laugh, “No, she just might be and well that’s completely fine. She’s quite social when she’s in class. Maybe it’s her friends being the ones with the ‘problem’.” 

He smiled at her weakly and she felt the urge to wrap him in a hug to quell the furrow in his brow. 

“I should get going…” he said quietly but she couldn’t detect a hint of awkwardness between them, “Sorry I couldn’t do much here, I can call my lads back at this garage I work at sometimes and see if they can tow it for you,” 

“You did more than I thought you would but that’d be really nice, thanks Gendry,” 

“And if you need a ride on Tuesday night to the hall to set up...” he smiled sheepishly and brushed the back of his neck, “I’m just a call away.” 

“I might take you up on that,” she smiled, cocked her head, “Hey, you got a little grease on you,” she said, leaning up onto her toes to flick the dirt off his cheekbone but let her hand remain there longer, trailing down to his bearded jaw. 

His eyes grew dark and he moved in to kiss her, the pace languid and settled. He pulled away and rested his forehead against hers. 

“I’ll see you Tuesday?” he asked and she smiled, nodding. 

  
  
  
  
  


* * *

Arya could see that Gendry’s kindness and empathy was passed down directly through to his sister.

Barra had been the only one in the class who offered to stay back and help clean up the mess from the bake sale.

“Miss Stark, did you like our cookies? I can’t believe that Gen made them!” 

She smiled secretly and nodded her head, glad that Barra was so proud of him. 

“Miss Stark I heard Miss Heddle talking about her boyfriend!” Barra giggled and Arya looked at her with a raised eyebrow, “Do you have a boyfriend.” 

She shook her head and Barra furrowed her brows. 

“My brother doesn’t have a girlfriend either, he never had one… Mya calls him boring.” 

Arya tried to stifle a snort but watched as Barra’s face turned pensive. 

“Sometimes people don’t have time for it,” she told the girl, “And it’s hard to find someone to stick with you through the tough times.” 

Barra’s face suddenly lit up. 

“Maybe you should be Gendry’s girlfriend! Then you both will have someone!”  
  


Arya just laughed nervously and shook her head. 

“Don’t worry about your brother or me, these things will work themselves out.” 

  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

Gendry picked her up that Tuesday night, his radio blaring some old band that she remembered her father playing. 

There was a light in his eyes as he rolled the car windows down and they travelled down the highway towards the city; the wind rippling through his short hair and his beard. The sunlight lit his tanned face, glossed with his small smile and his eyes that are both soft and electric azule. The world seemed to light up around them, bearing a realm with edges and curves that flickered like stars. 

“I think the girls in my class are a bit jealous of Barra scoring the leading role,” she told him, breaking the comfortable peace between them, “I couldn’t help it, she blew the auditions out of the park.” 

She caught Gendry’s small grin underneath the density of his beard, it’s a playful smile, one that shows the pride he has in his sister. 

“Not to be biased but there’s no one more suited for the role than Barra,” he pointed out, “She’s literally very distantly related to Argella through her dad.” 

“You never talk about your dad,” she said and gauged his reaction as his dark expressive brows furrowed in thought, “Have you ever met him?”  
  


“Once,” he replied, his face turned serious, “It wasn’t worth it.” 

“At least you did,” she said, trying to lighten up the mood. 

“Yeah,” he said, straightening up as he was obviously uncomfortable about the topic, “I guess… How've the little gremlins been?” 

She snorted and watched him don his shit-eating smirk. 

“The class is fine, but wrangling the whole year together for this production is a nightmare. Gremlins is an excellent word,” she laughed and ran a hand down her face. 

Along with the constant marking, lesson plans and now the ridiculous insanity of the production, her personal time had become very minimal. She leaned her head against the window frame and felt the thrum of the car as they drove. 

“You’re doing really well,” she heard him say and she turned to look at him as he concentrated on the road, “I mean… Your dedication to the students after taking them this late in the year is great, I hope the other parents know what they’re getting here.” 

She smiled and didn’t respond, letting the music and the wind steal back their silence.

  
  
  
  


  
  
  
  


*

He opened the door to the hall for her again, waiting until she had successfully told him off again for doing it and grinning once she was done.

The theatre hall was nearly done, the sets and props were the only things that needed to be set up today and there were quite a few people mingling about. 

“Jeyne!” she called to her fellow teacher and she felt Gendry tense beside her.

“Oh hey, you manage to bring a parent? How’d you do that, I’ve been begging them through emails but no one replied,” she said and then turned to Gendry, “Hi, I’m Miss Heddle. Is your kid in Miss Stark’s class?” 

“Yeah… I mean my sister is yeah,” he replied in a tone uncharacteristically nervous tone. 

“Gendry is Barra’s brother,” Arya explained and watched him curiously. 

“Oh! Yeah I’ve heard about you,” Jeyne laughed suspiciously, “I’ll leave you two to it, I’m heading home now.” 

Arya waved her off and looked at Gendry who gave her a warm smile in return. 

They got to work; dusting off the set pieces and placing them around the stage. The art department had done a terrific job with the wood and cardboard props for the medieval castle of Storm’s End for which the city was named after, the platform in the big drum tower allowed for the kids to stand and act as if they were truly in the tower and not on the ground. 

She watched with dark eyes as he lifted something heavy, his work shirt rolled up at the arms as his biceps strained against the fabric. Arya had been surprised to learn Gendry was as single as she was, nothing else but Barra pointed to the fact of his lack of action. Arya wondered why that was the case or if it went past the honourable need to dedicate his life and efforts to Barra’s upbringing. It wasn’t a problem per se, but she knew that there was a part of her that could see Gendry’s smiling blue eyes constantly in the future. She wanted this, whatever it was; flirtation or something else, between them to work. She wanted it with a desperation that she never had experienced in her life. 

By nine o’clock, everyone but they had gone home, letting them talk over a box of pizza together once most of the set was properly installed. Gendry talked about his mother and his life in King’s Landing before he migrated to the Stormlands. She, in turn, told him about her family; her brothers, Sansa and living in Winterfell. He even listened to her babble about Nymeria and swore that he would come over to see her one day. 

“How’s the car,” he said and she immediately felt the heat return to her lower belly. 

Images of his body pressed up against hers on the hood of her car flooded her conscious and she began to feel pleasantly warm. 

“Good, your friends at the garage were really helpful. I’m getting it back on Thursday,” 

“Coolant issue?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Coolant issue,” she smiled and rolled her eyes, “Yeah, yeah. You're smart and used to work as a mechanic.” 

He grinned and looked down at his hands resting in his lap. 

“Arya… About Sunday,” she heard him say as she wiped her face with a napkin. 

“What about it?” she asked, trying to act nonchalant as she possibly could. 

“I think you know what,” he said and she looked at him as he sighed, “Should we… I don’t know… Talk about it?” 

Even by not saying anything, Gendry’s eyes spoke multitudes and she knew exactly what he was implying by the growing heat in his pupils. 

She pushed the pizza box aside and moved into his lap, pressing her lips against his as she felt his hands clasp her waist. Soon they were working in tandem again, pushing and pulling at each other as their arms wandered; hers resting on the broad length of his shoulders and his sending electricity down her spine as his fingers ghosted underneath her top. She wanted this, wanted it to progress without distraction or hesitation. 

“What’s there to talk about?” she asked in a husky and breathless voice, breaking apart from the assault of his lips and raising her neck in surrender instead. 

He leaned up and she watched his eyes flicker in observation; analysing every single microexpression. After a moment, he returned to the column of her neck, pressing kiss after kiss until he reached over her jaw and captured her mouth once again, taking the wind from her lungs. 

“You’re right” he answered between kisses, his breath wild with exertion, “Your place?” 

“Mine,” she agreed, kissing him again before breaking apart to grab her jacket and him his keys and blazer. 

He grabbed her hand in his and they raced out the door into the night. 

  
  



	7. interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> arya and gendry cross the threshold of their sexual tension.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh shit guys, sorry i haven't updated in so long. i've seriously gone out of my comfort zone writing something this fluffy (and now smutty) amongst all my heavier things so it's been harder to write. 
> 
> i hope y'all like this one, it's 2500 words of pure smut and sweet side serving of pillow talk. a shorter chapter i know but i will make it up to you all later

They stumbled into her house, Arya barely having a moment to unlock the door before he pressed her against the wall of the hallway. 

They kicked off their shoes at the entrance, half climbing on each other as Arya’s bag went flying somewhere. 

There was something exhilarating about him being in her house, the house where she spent some nights thinking about his smile, or any possibility of his head situating itself magically in between her thighs. 

They bumped what she could tell was a picture frame but she paid little mind as she strung her arms around his neck and drove her fingernails into his scalp; securing herself like a lifeline. He seemed to mirror her; his fingers buried so deeply around the flesh of her hips that she was sure he would leave bruises. She could feel her top bunching up under his hands as he raised one of her legs to circle his waist so he could push her more firmly against the wall. 

“Fuck Arya,” he whispered, his breath haggard from exertion. 

She never knew this passion that had them both so desperate for one another, so mutually explosive that she was afraid she’d burn if they went any further. But logic and caution escaped her and they fumbled like lovers, not like songs or books or stupid movies. Because she never felt as raw as she did at that moment, something not as poetic as she had been indoctrinated to believe in her youth. She heard the clatter of reality in the distance; the barks of Nymeria. 

She pulled away.

“Fierce guard dog you have there,” he laughed breathlessly. 

“I’m sorry,” she groaned, “She’s not used to strange men feeling me up against my hallway." 

“Strange men huh?” he raised an eyebrow at her and she rolled her eyes. 

“I’ll be two seconds, just got to put her outside,” she said but instead her first love waltzed right up to Gendry. 

He bent down and reached his hand out for Nymeria to sniff. She hoped her girl took a liking to him, she had already been associated with his scent when Gendry made out with her on the hood of her car. 

“Did I pass initiation?” he asked and Nymeria answered his own question when she pushed her head into his palm, “Hey there gorgeous girl, you gonna let me steal your mistress for a little bit?” 

“Alright, before you betray me,” she laughed and motioned for Nym to follow her, “Bedroom is the last room on the right. Wait for me there?” 

He nodded and she saw his eyes grow dark again which made electricity shiver down her spine in anticipation. 

  
  
  


* * *

Sitting on her bed, he took her departure to observe her room; simplistic and practical in nature but not without the little components that made up her personality.

She had photographs of what he assumed was her family and her friends in collages on her wall; pictures of Nymeria and some similar-looking dogs. Ones of snow-covered backyards, Christmas trees, tanned girls sipping gin and tonics. Pictures of her graduation, adorned in her graduate’s robes, holding diplomas and standing next to official people. The sight of her life in brief snapshots made him think how much he wanted to part of one of her chapters, not just a moment of complete sexual desperation. He wanted to know the woman in these photographs, just as he knew who she was as his sister’s teacher. 

He looked up and saw her leaning on the doorframe, illuminated by only the moonlight peeking through the curtains. 

“Hi,” she said, not an ounce of nervousness laced with her words. 

“Hi yourself,” he bit back and watched her walk forward, closing the door behind her. 

Once she was close enough he couldn’t resist. He reached for her and they both intertwined into a mess of limbs, fumbled kisses, with teeth clacking and too many giggles for any of it to be taken seriously. 

“Sorry,” he laughed and kissed one cheek and then the other, “Forgive me okay? I haven’t done this in a while.” 

She smiled at him, her grey eyes glistening. 

“Nothing to forgive,” she whispered and leaned forward to kiss him again. 

She crawled into his lap and draped her arms around his shoulders, melting into one another. He stood up and her legs automatically went to curl around his waist as he kept his hand glued to her hips as he shifted their positions. He laid her gently on the bed and watched as she looked up at him removing his shirt, and especially admiring the little drop of her lower lip when she took in his chest. 

“See something you like Stark?” he asked and he heard her scoff. 

“I see that you’re wearing too many clothes for my liking,” she bit back and he closed his eyes, smirking. 

_ This woman will be the death of me. _

“What about you then?” he leaned over her and felt her hands fumble with his belt, fingers working deftly as he teased the hem of her untucked blouse, “Do you wear shit like this just to rile me up?” 

“You fucking wish,” she hissed as his fingers went dancing along her ribcage after infiltrating through her buttons, “I know I look good in a pantsuit.” 

“Good, doesn’t even suffice,” he all but growled into her ear, hearing his belt clunk on the floor somewhere far away and irrelevant. 

He popped open the rest of her buttons, and undid the hook of her pants, helping her slide them down her legs where the bunched at her ankles. He took in the long expanse of her thighs right down to her calves and he traced a finger from the flesh of her thigh to the bone of her knee. 

She unbuckled his jeans and he wanted so badly to follow her insistent hands with his own to tug them down his legs but he stopped them, sitting up. 

“Not yet,” he said, gauging her expression, “Got something important to do first.” 

When she still looked confused, he leaned away and dropped to his knees on the carpet and on the edge of the bed, grabbing her by the ankles and yanking her gently towards him. She watched him the whole time as he pulled her pants and her socks off, throwing them somewhere else and reached with his thumb to trace her against her black cotton underwear. She tossed the blouse from her shoulders, leaving her in a simple black bra and revealed the tattoo he had been thinking about ever since the sprinkles went off in the classroom; a pack of what he could count as six bounding wolves captured in motion. 

“You’re exquisite y’know?” he whispered and her brows raised as he kissed her inner thigh, “Fucking utterly beautiful.” 

He hooked two fingers on either side of her underwear.

“This alright?” 

She nodded, biting her lip as he inched her panties down her long legs, throwing them over his shoulder and she sat up on her elbows. He leaned forward to kiss the inside of her thigh, watching her shudder as he got closer and closer to the place 

“You sure?” he asked her again. 

“For fuck's sake yes,” she hissed and he chuckled before lowering his head and licking the length of her cunt. 

He heard her fall back and moan; loud and beautifully, sending a rush of pleasure south. Lifting one of her legs and putting it on his shoulder, he continued his ministrations until she was a panting mess, not before entering a single finger and sliding it into her delicately.

“_More,” _she ordered and he could not help but obey, “Gods, Gendry I need more.” 

He entered another digit and pumped them in tandem with his tongue, soon witnessing her back arching off the bed as if she were possessed. 

“That’s it, love,” he removed his mouth and spoke against the flesh of her hip bone, “Let go, come for me.” 

“Oh fuck,” she whimpered and her body went taut as she came, her eyes rolling to the back of her head. 

  
  


* * *

Arya felt her legs spasm as he emerged from her thighs, wiping his chin with the back of his hand. 

“Good?” he asked her, raising a playful brow. 

“Yeah,” she smiled and watched him edge his boxer briefs from his hips, “You want me to repay the favour?” 

“I’ll take a raincheck,” he smirked and she watched his cock spring free, “Would really like to be inside you right now.” 

She shuddered and felt him crawl over her in between her thighs, capturing her mouth once again. He bit her bottom lip and flipped them over so she was the one top, straddling his thighs as he stared up at her. 

“Fuck, do you have a condom?” he asked and she wracked her brain. 

“Let me check,” she hopped off him and the bed, throwing one of the drawers open of her wardrobe to search for a lone condom she thought she saw not long ago.

She fished around and finally, her fingers came into contact with the foil packaging. Turning around, she was met with Gendry’s soft smile, as she tore the foil and climbed back onto the bed and then across his legs. 

She rolled the condom onto his cock and looked back at him as he lifted a thumb to the fabric of her bra. 

“This needs to come off,” he whispered and she nodded, leaning her palms on his chest as his hands flitted around her back to her bra.

After what she silently knew was a few unsuccessful and fumbled attempts, he managed to pop the clasp and she shivered as he slid the straps from her shoulders painfully slowly and let the bra fall to her lap, revealing her aching breasts. 

“Fuck,” she heard him breathe as he reached a hand out to cup her, “You’re beautiful Arya.” 

She felt her insides flush and instead, she moved forward and brushed her cunt against his length, eliciting a long groan from his throat. She moved back and forth in a tantalising pace, making him dig one hand into the flesh of her hip and the other trail up to her tits to pinch a nipple. 

“Do you want this?” she asked him, looking down at him with his eyes screwed shut.

“Fuck me, Arya,” he told her and she took the assurance to sink down on his cock, wincing slightly at how he stretched her. She heard him groan and let out a long sigh and once she was comfortably seated on the full expanse of his length, she began to move. 

He was big by comparison of her past hookups, and much more attentive to her pleasure above his own. But as she rolled her hips against his, slowly at first, it was everything to see how blissfully gone Gendry looked beneath her. 

He chose the moment to look up at her through half-lidded eyes, smirking as he hit a spot that made Arya’s toes curl and a moan spill from her lips. She could feel his hand wandering down her body as the other one had surrendered to rest behind his head as he took her in. 

With every little sigh that she made, he responded to her movements with ones of his own; meeting her hips with a little more force as she began to bounce lightly.

Before she knew it, his thumb was at her clit rubbing frantically as his breath caught in his throat and their movements became desperate. He thrust his hips up beneath her and she closed her eyes, whimpering as she chased her pleasure with both her hands rolling her own nipples. 

When he came with a loud moan, she rode him harder, nails scratching his chest until she too, collapsed against him panting.

  
  


* * *

He could hear her breath warm against his shoulder as they came down from what Gendry could describe as the best sex he had ever had in his life. 

If he was foolish in thinking, (which was most likely when it came to Arya Stark), he could have sworn it had gone one step closer than a just a fuck. The air around them was still charged with electricity and he could have sworn the way she clung to him now was not what she could do if things were solely casual. Because he hoped they weren’t. 

For the first time in his life, he had met a girl that he simultaneously wanted to talk to every single day and give multiple orgasms to. 

_Was that normal?_

Basking in his afterglow, he barely felt Arya murmur against his skin until she pressed her lips against his cheek. He turned to her then, watching a small smile steal her lips. 

“Hey you,” he whispered, tucking a loose strand of dishevelled hair behind her ear. She looked properly fucked, even though he was the one who should have been claiming the sentiment, “You okay?” 

“Better than,” she said and rolled to his side, propping herself on her elbow, “What’s the rating?”  
  


“Rating? Was that an Uber ride?” he laughed, “12.” 

“Out of 10?” she raised her eyebrows. 

“I thought you meant out of 5,” he hit back and watched her roll her eyes, “No but seriously Arya… Fuck.” 

“Yeah, no shit,” she flipped onto her back and ran her hands down her face, “That was fucking amazing don’t you mean?” 

He let out a loud chuckle and watched her as she sat up. 

“I gotta piss,” she announced unbashfully and he saluted her, watching as she half fell off the bed to stumble to her ensuite. 

Disposing of the condom in the bin nearby, he decided to look at his phone which had somehow landed near the bed and checked if there were any message from Mya about Barra. To his luck there were none, and he flicked a quick text letting know that he missed Barra and hoped she had a good sleep. 

When she remerged, wearing what was distinctly his t-shirt, he put away his phone on the nightstand and watched her climb onto the bed towards him. 

“Come here,” he beckoned and she hesitated for a split second before curling up against him, laying her head on his chest. 

He cupped her waist and stroked her skin up to her ribs, kissing the top of her head.

“Arya?” he called. 

“Hmm?” 

He took a deep breath. 

“I like you, like… _ Really _like you,” he told her and she looked up at him, her grey irises shining, “Like over the past months, I’ve gone mad over you, it’s crazy. And I want this to all mean something…” 

“It does though,” she said quietly and felt her fingers intertwined with his, “It does to me.” 

He sighed in relief.

“Can I take you out?” he asked and she smiled, “For a proper date? Dinner and shit?”

She closed her eyes and chuckled lightly. She could probably tell how fast his heart was fluttering. 

But instead of teasing him, she lay her head back down against him and ran her hand against his chest. 

“I’d like that,” she whispered, “I’d _ really _like that.” 

He grinned and lay his head back down on the pillow feeling Arya warm against him as sleep took over him. 

  
  



	8. i want you to waste my time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> arya and gendry go on a date that makes her question how deep her feelings are but a phone call leaves them hanging mid-air

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from keep - ill's
> 
> this angst is temporary dw, im not about to pull a walls to build on anyone here. and i promise a very happy ending.

There was something so equally strange and natural about being with Gendry as if she had finally found someone who walked the same path at the exact same tempo.

As time progressed, ‘dinner and shit’ turned into spontaneous dates that spanned across weekends and crept into stolen moments between their heavy schedules. And what would usually irritate and tire her out, such as excessive texting and calling, was suddenly something she looked forward to, finding it easy to let him know about the frustrations of her day and hear him voice his own. Although they were different, it was the existence of the equilibrium of their personalities that quelled her anxieties. She knew she didn’t have to change a single hair on her head to appeal to him. Unlike some of the people she had encountered in her life, she knew Gendry was different and she had found something special. Almost something similar to her parents’ whom she remembered so clearly, caring for each other in the way solidified the pillars of their marriage right to the very end. 

Gendry didn’t make her think of the ways she could reproduce anything similar to her parents’ relationship, it made her want to forge her own path. And the thought of that ignited feelings in her heart that she never thought she was capable of expressing. She thought of the dates they had been on; treks with Nymeria through the Stormlands trips to the markets and the beach. Even nights spent with endless cartons of Yi-Tish takeout whilst they laughed at sitcoms or spent an hour in silence watching a serious documentary. She started to notice how he looked at her, the way his lips would curl into a smile whenever she came to greet him at the door. It was different from how he looked at other people; addressing them curtly or barely even looking them in the eye. She had learnt pretty early that Gendry was a very introverted person but that didn’t dissuade her from suggesting ideas to go out which he happily complied to. But she knew him and the place where he was most comfortable was on the couch, wrapped in a blanket.

Even the time they spent together made her toes curl when she thought about it; nights spent tracing his skin, watching his face contort with pleasure and feeling his weight pressed firmly against her, pinning her to the mattress. However humble he was, she always found a way to coax his roughness out.

Gendry, on the other hand, was cautious about their budding relationship when it came to Barra, and Arya was more than understanding when it came to his need for discretion. There were times they definitely nearly did get caught; a night spent fucking in the shower, awkwardly but still enough to overrun her senses. Gendry’s lips were at her throat, sucking lovebites on every inch of her skin as he fucked her against the wall. She had a leg thrown over his waist and was standing precariously on one foot as Gendry kept her pinned to the ceramic. One slip and they both would have chipped a tooth.

I_n the haze of her bliss, she didn’t even hear the front door of the house open. _

_“Gen! Get out of the shower, I’m hungry!” they heard and Arya nearly fell flat on her arse._

_“Fuck,” she heard him grumble as he tried to finish and gasped with one hand bracing the wall to the side of her head, “I had no idea she was coming home so early.” _

_She hushed him by kissing him gently and he helped her stand up straight, although the idea of the action seemed much easier than actually doing it. _

_“It’s alright, I need to go home and do some lesson plans,” she assured him and he groaned. _

_They climbed out of the shower and he towelled down her body more quickly than she knew he would normally. It was hard while feeling so boneless to be rushed out of the bathroom and into his room where he was practically throwing on his clothes._

_“I’ll go out the window,” she told him. _

_“What are you? Seventeen?” he teased as she slipped her top over her head and collected her jeans, moving to the window beside his bed. “Oh, you’re serious?” _

_“It’ll be fine,” she told him as she did the buckle, tucking on her shoes. “I was a rebellious teenager in my youth. No window stands a chance” _

_She saw him roll his eyes and leant over to kiss her chastely on the mouth. _

_“Don’t die,” he raised his eyebrows. “You’re one of the few people in this world I can tolerate.” _

_She saluted him and opened up the window._

_“Go feed the little bear,” she said, “Text me?” _

_He nodded, “Of course.” _

_She slipped out and landed on the lawn outside the window, heading to her car parked discreetly on the street. _

Gendry had texted her later that Mya had found her bra hanging from the ceiling fan in his room when she was doing laundry and although it spiked an initial bout of anxiety she couldn’t help but laugh her socks off at the thought of him trying to weasel out of that one. 

  
  
  


* * *

Arya really should have listened to her sister when she said being on a high could truly impair her judgements even if everything had been going very well. And it was even more stupid of her to assume that anything Sansa warned her about relationships was utter bullshit. Because it wasn’t, and she was a fool to think that all the shitty relationships Sansa had didn’t credit her wise soul. But Arya couldn’t help it, not when being with Gendry made her feel like she was floating with euphoria and there had been no one she had ever met who treated her the way he did; gentle and tender, but not without his hard edges. They argued and bickered about trivial things sometimes, he didn’t try to hide his anger sometimes nor his frustrations, he worked tiring hours and was technically a parent. But he never took those frustrations out on her, never blaming her or using his tiredness as an excuse to treat her badly. 

Gendry had called her out to dinner on a Friday night, after telling her excitedly that Mya was staying down in the Stormlands to help look after Barra. She knew how hard he worked, so she couldn’t help but share his enthusiasm for having more time to see him when he wasn’t drop dead tired. He had told her that he wanted to take her out to a nicer place than the diners and markets they usually frequented and the idea excited her more than repulsed her. Going out to a fancy restaurant would be fun for the both of them, not something suited to their personalities as they preferred more humble settings. But a part of her couldn’t wait to dress up for once, and she felt tingles down her spine as she ironed her once-worn jumpsuit from out of the deep crevice of her closet. 

She wasted time with makeup, trying to lightly dab a little foundation on her face without looking like a ghost. She used a deep bold red lipstick and attempted, poorly, to line her lips neatly, moving onto eyeliner once she lost patience. She did her mascara and dusted a little bit of highlighter that she had stolen from Sansa on her cheekbones and the tip of her nose, admiring herself in the mirror. 

She wasn’t her sister, but she still knew how to look nice. 

After straightening her hair quickly and stepping into a pair of panties that not only Gendry would appreciate but made her feel sexy, she got changed and fixed the house a little for her night out. She had no idea if they would come back to hers, but she hoped so, as it was difficult for them to sneak around his. 

When she heard his car roll up her driveway, she put some food in Nymeria’s bowl and sprayed a little more perfume against her clavicle where the lining of her deep v-neck jumpsuit disappeared down her chest. She grabbed her high heels and stepped out to the hallway barefoot.

When she opened the door, Gendry was looking to the side of the house, shaking his head.

“Why the fuck is your neighbour mowing his lawn at eight pm, it’s honestly--” he jaw dropped and she rolled her eyes. “Holy shit, wow, you look… You look amazing.” 

She admired his ironed dress shirt and pressed slacks as he took her in too. 

“Not too shabby yourself,” she grabbed her jacket and bag and moved to pat Nymeria goodbye, closing the door behind her. 

He walked up to her, his hands in his pockets and his eyes looking her up and down. 

“Can you help?” she asked, pointing to her shoes. “I hate them, so count yourself lucky.” 

He chuckled a little and then held out his arm so she could use him for balance as she tucked the strap of her shoes around each ankle. 

“Is this a different blazer I see?” she teased him once standing straight and pinching the fabric of his jacket. 

“Only for the best,” he smirked down at her and grabbed her hand in his, interlacing their fingers. “Contrary to common knowledge, I do own more than one blazer.” 

“No way,” she faux-gasped. 

“Don’t knock yourself out,” he warned her playfully and they walked towards his car. 

He moved to open the door and she kicked him in the shin lightly.

“Gendry you know how I feel about that,” she cocked an eyebrow. 

He shook his head incredulously and let her open the door for herself, 

“May I close the door for you, m’lady?” he bowed and she had half the mind to get out of the car and tackle him on her front lawn. 

“Don’t make me hijack your car, because I will.” 

He snorted and made his way to the driver’s seat, closing the door with a thud. 

“Darlin’ you wish you could drive a manual,” 

She rolled her eyes and bit back a smile because she remembered that summer after school when Jon had taken her into the highlands and taught her how to drive his truck, and like she remembered him saying, it really was like riding a bike.

* * *

He drove them into the city and Arya admired the bright lights and towering skyscrapers with a child’s curiosity. 

Winterfell had never been spectacular in terms of its urban scrawl and Braavos had too many canals to be anything like Storm’s End was. Arya knew that the biggest building at the edge of the cliffs had once been a medieval castle of the name of Storm’s End, and it was the ancestral seat of Gendry’s father’s house; the Baratheons. Half of it still remained that way but the looming drum tower was now surrounded by a ring of pretentious modernistic glass panels and a logo more bright than all the city lights combined. Arya wondered if Gendry would ever go to claim part of the shares of Robert’s company as he told her about but if she knew one thing when it came to him it was not to mention his biological father and she stuck to the rule religiously. 

“You remember that wanky dinner I had to go to for that board meeting?” he asked her, and she nodded, putting her hand on his over the clutch. “It was a fucking boring meeting but they had the most amazing food I’d ever tasted and I immediately knew I had to take you here. You’ve got the most interesting palate I know.” 

“Gendry when you say the word ‘palate’ it makes you sound as wanky as those guys on the board,” she told him. 

She saw him roll his eyes.

“I can be as snotty as Edric, just you watch,” he announced. 

“You could never be snotty like your brother, trust me,” she assured him, tracing his palm with her thumb. “And I like you better that way.” 

He rolled to a stop at a red light and looked at her, bringing their joint hands to his lips, pressing a kiss against her knuckles. 

“Glad you think so,” he placed their hands back where they were. “But let me be wanky for one night, I want to spoil you. 

_You already do_, she wanted to say because she was half sure part of her was already in love, but instead, she was reduced to comfortable silence, basking in the happiness that was simply being with him. 

  
  


* * *

Gendry had quickly redacted his ‘being wanky for one-night’ statement and ended up parking in his work car park to save money. 

She thought he was smart, not failing at trying to charm her like some archaic gentlemen. Gendry had thought the opposite. 

“You do realise your brother would have parked in a loading zone,” she told him as they walked down the busy city street, hand in hand. 

“Yeah but now you have to walk in your heels,” he grumbled and she laughed. 

She might hate all this get up normally but she could sacrifice the soles of her feet for one night. Plus, they made her feel tall and glorious, her calf muscles tight and pronounced. 

“I’m a big girl Gendry,” she said. “Look, why don’t I let you fill out your chivalrous dreams and let you give me your jacket when we finish, even though I brought my own.” 

He smiled at her as he walked them down an alley. 

“You’re the best.” 

She rolled her eyes as they neared to a small building with a lift. 

“Are you kidnapping me?” she teased and he shook his head.

“Just wait and see,” 

So she did; waited as they travelled ten floors up in the elevator and waited for the doors to open. 

And when they opened, she couldn’t contain her awe. 

A waiter took them to their table; seated homely in the corner of the restaurant against tall glass windows boasting panoramic views of the city. The whole plan of the restaurant was laid out, a man playing a grand piano sat amongst the tables and the lighting bathed the room in amber; both intimate and atmospheric. Although she never paid much attention to the grandiose her mother tried to indoctrinate her with, she still had an eye for tasteful architecture and the finery that came with the upper class. 

“Holy fuck Gendry, this place is extraordinary,” she exclaimed under her breath and she felt him chuckle. 

“Glad you like it,” 

She sat down at the table, but couldn’t rip her eyes from the view; 

“All these months I’ve lived here and I didn’t even know a city could look this beautiful,” she whispered and looked back at Gendry who was watching her with a small smile. “You never even told me what cuisine this place serves.”

He smirked. 

“Have a look at the menu when it comes,” 

He lets her continue to admire the place until a waitress came to take their drink orders and give them their menus. 

“No fucking way,” she said and quickly looked around to see if anyone heard her exclamation. “Braavosi food? How have I not heard about this place.” 

Gendry just lightly kicked her foot under the table and gave her a wicked smile.

“Cause we’re not fancy people and we usually eat cheap Pentoshi food on your couch,” 

She snorted. “Yeah but it’s good cheap Pentoshi food and you love my couch so don’t even try me, man.” 

He threw his head back and laughed. 

They agreed, rather quickly, that they wanted all the seafood they could possibly stuff down their throats including a chilli styled crab dish whose description made her mouth water. 

When the food came out, Arya was beyond impressed and the smells brought her back to the years she spent in Braavos, strolling down the canals and purchasing fresh oysters from the stalls. They feasted like kings, and she enjoyed making fun of his attempt to crack open the crab legs. 

Once they were done, Gendry reached for her hand across the table and she smiled at him. 

“I know I told you I brought you here because I thought you’d like it but…” he looked away almost shyly and she could feel her heart stammering in her chest. “Arya, I really like you, like... “ he rubbed his other hand over his face and took a breath out. “I’ve never felt the way I feel about you, never and you know how bad I am at all of this and the fancy words and-”

“I get it Gendry.” 

“No you don’t, not at all. Because I like you and fuck, I sound like a teenager but you know what? I’m not afraid to say it, I’ll let the whole bloody restaurant know.”

“Please don’t,” she chuckled and he smiled at her. 

“I wanna spend every single Sunday lazing around with you, I wanna call you after work, cook you dinner. I want to let you come into my house without having to sneak you out my bedroom window.” 

She furrowed her brows. 

“But what about Barra?” 

“That’s the point,” he said, looking at her intensely. “I don’t want to keep this under wrap, I want her to-”

Gendry’s phone began to buzz in his pocket and their conversation drifted to a halt. 

“Just ignore it,” he told her, patting his blazer pocket. “It’s probably no one.” 

She had half the mind to ask him to just check but he seemed adamant. 

After a moment, his phone went off and he ignored again, attempting too hard to pretend nothing was interrupting them. 

The third time it rang, Arya lost her patience. 

“Gendry, just pick it up, it’s fine,” she told him and he made an apologetic face and picked up his phone. 

“It’s Mya,” he mouthed and she nodded as he put the phone to his ear, “What’s up, I told you I’m at dinner.”

She couldn’t hear what Mya was saying but she could tell by Gendry’s face that whatever the call was, the topic was distressing. 

“Fuck,” he ripped the hand that was in her hers and ran it down her face, “You’re not serious…. Fuck, I’ll be right there.” 

“Gendry…” 

“We have to go,” he told her, standing up abruptly.

“What’s going on?” she asked, trying to pick up her jacket and bag without stumbling over her chair. 

She followed him out of the restaurant shakily and watched motionlessly as he quickly paid the bill and he rushed them out. 

She struggled to keep up with him as he stormed down the street to his car. By the time they were both seated and he pulled out of the park, she had enough. 

“Gendry what the fuck is going on?” she asked angrily. 

“She’s in fucking hospital,” 

  
“Who, Gendry?” she questioned, trying to remain calm.

“Barra!” he yelled, slamming the wheel and she jumped, not so much scared by his burst of anger but by the tears running down his face, “Fuck.” 

She tried to put her hand on his but he shook her off. 

“Please, just… Not now,” he didn’t look at her, just focused on the road and she retreated her hand to her lap and perched herself on the seat. 

He pulled into the children’s hospital and she remained silent. 

“I’m looking for Barra Waters,” she heard him ask the receptionist to the emergency department and watched as the woman clacked on her computer. 

“Bed 23, on the right,” 

“Come on,” he urged her and she tried to keep up in her stupid heels. 

“Thank you,” she called out but she was quickly whisked away down the never-ending hallway. 

They found Mya sitting worriedly by a bed, covered in so many blankets and sheets that it looked like Barra was drowning in them. 

“Hey Gen,” Mya stood up and caught him in her arms. “She’s alright, they’re looking after her.” 

Arya stood awkwardly to the side of the curtain, out of view from where Barra was sleeping. 

“She had a really high fever, and she passed out and yeah it scared the shit out of me,” Mya explained and Gendry sat down in the chair by the hospital bed. “You know she’s had that cold, maybe it was worse than we thought.”

“It’s been going around the school,” Arya chimed in and Mya looked up at her surprised. “Kids are grotty, they always pass around the cold around this time.” 

“Not even surprised,” the sister grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. 

Arya took one last look at Gendry who was completely deaf to the outside world; staring at Barra in her hospital bed with a pensive and pained look etched on his features. 

For once in the whole time, she knew him, she couldn’t read his face. 

“I’ll give you both some space,” she offered and watched Mya nod firmly. 

Gendry, however, didn’t even flinch. 

She suppressed a long sigh and closed the curtain, stepping out into the hallway. Arya hated hospitals with a passion; flashing memories of her past threatened her with tears. 

Arya took another look through the gap in the curtain where Gendry was brushing the loose strands of his sister’s hair from her forehead. 

“She seems worried for you,” she heard Mya whisper. 

“It doesn’t matter,” 

She heard his sister snort. 

“It fuckin’ does, she obviously cares about you, a lot,” 

“It doesn’t matter because I’m her guardian and I really fooled myself thinking I can fuck around and go on dates."

Arya felt her chest constrict. _Was that what it was to him? ‘Fucking around and going on dates’._

It didn’t make sense, not from the heartfelt confession in the restaurant, him announcing that he wanted to tell Barra that they...

“It's my fault, thinking I have the luxury of going out all the time and being selfish…”

“It’s not your fault that she’s sick-” 

“It is! If I hadn't been going out this much, I would have known something was up,” he exclaimed, his voice getting louder. “I know you’re helping, but it’s me who’s looked after her for the last five years. Me. Not you, not Bella, and I’m not going to even bother mentioning Edric.”

“Gendry, you’re not her father. That’s why I’m here, so you can actually go and live your life.”

“I am living my life,” he argued. “I look after Barra, I was happy like that. I don’t need anything else.” 

“Gendry…” 

“I just can’t at the moment,” he sighed and she could have sworn she heard him sniffle. “I need her to be okay before I can think rationally.” 

Mya abruptly emerged and Arya held back tears, her chest tight. 

“I’m going to go,” she managed. “I think I’ve intruded enough.” 

“Arya,” Mya tried to reach for her arm but she walked further away. 

“It’s alright, I understand,” she assured her, grabbing her phone. “I’ll take an Uber home.” 

Before she could hear another word of protest, Arya stormed out the exit of the hospital and called an Uber. 

She spent the thirty-minute ride home in complete silence, watching the city succumb to suburbia, dusted with picket white fences and pastel houses. 

When she arrived home, Nymeria curiously sat up from her bed and trotted over to sniff her. Her wolfhound let out a little whine as she fell to the floor, her back sliding down the door. Nymeria put her head in her lap. 

“It’s alright, girl, just… Maybe he’s not the one,” she sniffled. 

She sat in the dark for a little bit, listening to the wind whistle against the windows until she thought of her sister. 

She pulled up her contacts on her phone and dialled Sansa, shakingly holding her phone to her ear. 

Arya touched her face and saw black fat, watery clumps on her fingertips. Gods, not even her mascara could hold it together. 

“Hey what’s up! How was your date? Tell me all about it!” she heard her sister’s cheery voice. 

“It’s fucked Sansa,” she told her and she felt the silence permeate the phone line. “It’s completely fucked.” 


	9. summer don’t know me no more

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> been sitting on this chapter for a bit but got stuck on how to finish it but i hope y'all enjoy it. 
> 
> in between exams and other things, i hope people are staying safe and keeping informed about the current blm events. #justicefortoyin

The doctor kept Barra overnight and sent her home the next day, saying she had recovered exceptionally well. 

It had ended up being a bad allergic reaction to some over the counter medicine she had taken for a common cold that Mya had gotten her. Gendry had even been shocked that Barra had been to the doctor without his knowledge, Mya taking much more of the initiative to look after her in his distracted stead. 

“You’ve been doing this for years, you deserve to live your life,” she had told him and he sighed. 

“Doesn’t mean you don’t tell me about shit. She’s my responsibility, I’m her legal guardian, you got to tell me things like this” he reiterated, driving down the highway. “I know you’re here to help but I’ve looked after her since she was five, and  _ it is  _ my job. She’s my sister.” 

“She’s  _ our  _ sister,” she snapped and he looked back at the road. “I’ve had a chance to date, and go and do whatever people do without little sisters to take care of. All you’ve done is work yourself to the bone and not allow yourself any happiness. And when you finally find someone, you’re prepared to throw it all away.” 

Gendry swallowed the lump in his throat. 

“It was an emergency,” he insisted, feeling his insides burn with the guilt for leaving her standing, for rushing them out of their date, for being so damn panicked. 

“No, you treated her like shit,” Mya told him pointedly. “You were damn horrible to her, you didn’t even see her home properly. She looked so hurt Gen, and from my experience, people don’t have the patience to be treated like that, I saw her, I know she really liked you.” 

He looked back to Barra who was playing on the iPad, her headphones on as she listened to something. She was alright, it had taken some reassurance that she would be after one of the scariest nights of his life. Seeing her in the huge hospital bed, her pale skin and her hair sticking to her sweaty forehead had sent him heart ricocheting against his chest. Although his priority had always been and always would be Barra, he knew that he had found something remarkably special with Arya. Thinking on it, before he got the wretched phone call, he was going to ask her to be his girl, for real. No more having to hide what they were. He would have been in a relationship with her, a step closer to finding someone. Someone for life perhaps. 

_ He loved her.  _

He had never met a woman who was so caring and gentle, but at the same time, a complete spitfire who knew how to call him out on his mood when he was acting erratically. They bantered, and were themselves but still knew when to be professional. He wanted to be with her in a way that made butterflies flutter in his belly almost painfully but equally calmed his nerves. It was so damn clear that he could see her in the future; pottering around his house, being a part of his and Barra’s life as casually as she had slipped into his alone. He didn’t want to keep her to himself, like a forbidden affair doomed to fail if exposed. He wanted to shout it out to the world that he liked her more than anything he had before. 

But he had fucked it up, truly and miserably. 

He had let his own anxiety get the better of him, anxiety that was justifiable, to say the least, but not to the extent where he had treated Arya the way he did. 

“I need to call her,” he grumbled, running a hand down his face. It hurt to be reminded of what he had done with something that could have been so easy. Watching her curious face as she stared about at the decorum of the fancy restaurant and the intrigue that laced her eyes was enough to fuel how utterly stupid he was for her. 

“That’s a start, and then you can get on your knees and beg for forgiveness,” Mya added, rolling her eyes. 

“I know,” he breathed and let out a sigh. “I freaked out, and to me, dating is something I’ve always viewed as unnecessary and… It’s not. Not with Arya, it’s… It’s more serious than I can comprehend.” 

“She’s not nothing to you,” Mya said softly. 

“No she isn’t,” he said through his teeth. “And I know that, I  _ knew  _ that but… Seven Hells I’m awful. I just couldn’t stop the fear, Mya. It overran my senses, I didn’t even know how I was acting. All I knew that I needed to do was get to Barra.” 

She put a hand on his shoulder, not meeting his eyes. 

“I know, I was the same.” 

He smiled softly and focused back on the road, trying profusely to keep Arya from his thoughts. 

He failed. 

  
  


Once they were back home, he made sure to check Barra’s temperature and keep her warm by wrapping her up in a blanket and setting her up with her favourite kids' show on the couch. 

She looked better, the colour returning to her cheeks and her little smile began to light up her ocean eyes once more but he could still tell she was tired. 

“You alright?” he asked her, brushing her hair from her forehead. 

“Stop worrying about me, I’m fine,” she insisted and he chuckled. 

Mya set to work in the kitchen, promising to make lunch for them all and he watched her potter around in his kitchen. 

“You mind ringing the school, I reckon Barra needs a couple of days off,” he whispered to his older sister who nodded at him. “I’m going to call  _ her. _ ” 

“Good luck,” she mouthed and he smiled and went to his bedroom, closing the door and sighing. 

He paced for a moment, looking down at his phone and trying to work up the courage to pull up her contact. With a sigh, he did and pressed the call button in one fluid motion, putting the phone up to his ear... 

He listened to the line ring and ring and  _ ring.  _

Behind the closed door, he heard Mya and Barra in the kitchen laughing until he reached her message bank. 

He sighed.

_ “You reached Arya Stark, sorry I missed your call, leave a message after the tone.”  _

He tightened his hold on his phone and waited for the beep. 

“Arya, it’s me. Just wanted you to know that Barra’s alright and we’re back home…” he looked at the closed door. “I need to apologise about last night. I was worried and I overreacted but it didn’t mean I needed to be so horrible,” he took a breath. “There’s no justifiable reason to forgive me, only that you mean so much to me Arya and it’s killing me that I hurt you, so please… Fuck I’m not good at words, you know that. I’m not good at any of this, but I fucked up, I know I did... Just call me back or let me know you’re okay. I miss you.” 

He waited a moment and hung up. 

For a moment he stood still, bathing in the silence of his bedroom and tuning in momentarily to the birds outside his window. But he couldn’t help but feel as though everything was so stationary without Arya in it, even when it had only been a night. 

He let out a sigh and sat on the edge of his bed, his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. 

“Hey,” Mya said, and he looked up to see her leaning against the doorframe, a sympathetic look on her face. “Didn’t pick up?” 

He shook his head and she gave him a nod. 

“Give her some time,” she prompted but the feeling of dread had already begun to settle in. “You explained yourself, that’s all you can do at this point.” 

“I could drive to her house, explain it face to face-” 

“Give her some time to process,” Mya repeated, walking forward and putting a hand on his shoulder. “You did what you could, it shows you care. And if you really like her, like I know you do, then it’ll work out. Cause you’ll fight for it and she will too.” 

“Okay,” he sighed and felt his head drop. It was almost as if he was fifteen again, and someone was pitying him after his mum passed away. He felt lost and disconnected like someone had cut the wire of the landline and that was the feeling that made him want to curl up under the covers with the lights off. 

“Come on, Barra looks like she needs a hug and so do you,” Mya offered, her hand outstretched. 

Because he didn’t really have the option to remain in a puddle of self-pity. He had a life. 

He took his sister’s hand and went out to be with his siblings. 

On his bed, his discarded phone lit up. 

_ Arya: glad barra’s ok  _

  
  


* * *

It baffled him how quickly the school year had come to an end and soon all Barra could talk about was the holidays. 

Gendry closed the buttons on his shirt as he heard Mya tug on her shoes, clunking around in the corridor. 

“Can you believe it’s June?” she guffawed, draping her cardigan across one arm. 

She was wearing light makeup and she had brushed out her short bangs which made her look different to when he normally saw her; in jeans and or baggy pants, not a dress and pink lipstick. He liked it nevertheless, his sister and him getting dressed up to watch their little sister in a school production. 

“It’s mad,” he agreed, fixing his collar and running a hand through his hair. “Time goes quickly when you stick to a school schedule.” 

Summer had come in hot if Autumn had been anything to go by, and Gendry was seriously grateful for the sea breeze that came by the coast to relieve them from dying a gruesome death from the heat. In that regard, he was better with heat than he was the cold, King’s Landing summers were relentless and long, and he was well conditioned for them. 

  
He stepped out into the hallway and turned his bedroom light off, checking around the house before grabbing his car keys. 

“Were you ever in a play?” Mya asked him as he put his shoes on. 

“Me?” he laughed. “Don’t tease me like that. Could you imagine me acting?” 

Mya chuckled. “Hey, I think you’d make a particularly nice tree. You’ve got the brooding face for it and the shoulders.” 

“Hilarious Stone, truly hilarious,” he rolled his eyes and opened the door. 

They strolled out into the balmy night, the wind rustling their clothes as they made their way to his car. 

“You think Barra has the acting genes?” he asked her and she strapped herself in. 

“I mean, I don’t think Arya is one to pick a lead role out of bias. Even when she was shagging her brother.” 

He felt the lump in his throat return at the mere mention of her name. She hadn’t returned any of his calls, just the single message after his first one about Barra that made his heart sink. When he responded, she had just left him on read. 

_ At least she didn’t block you.  _

He shook himself out his spiralling thoughts. 

“No, she definitely wouldn’t,” he replied, keeping a straight face. “She’s not that kind of person.” 

“Hey,” Mya said, and he looked up before putting his keys into the engine. “Why don’t you talk to her tonight?” 

He nodded, his lips pursed. He had been planning on it, wanting so badly during the last two weeks to go to her house or do  _ something  _ to show her he missed her. But Mya had been right, if she wasn’t returning his calls there probably wouldn’t be a chance she wanted to see him turn up at her door. 

“I will,” he told her. “Don’t worry about me.” 

She smiled and he turned the car on. 

  
  
  
  


  
  
  
  


The hall in the city was bustling with parents and children, and Gendry felt oddly paired out even with his sister at his shoulder. 

A lot of the parents of Barra’s friends knew about her situation, how her eldest brother was bringing her up, but they didn’t know about Mya. 

“Oh hi, Gendry,” Ravella Smallwood, the principal came up to him. She had helped him ten-fold when Barra had first come to the school, helping her adjust and aiding him with some simple tools for helping her with her homework. “And I don’t think we’ve met-”

“I’m Mya, Gendry’s sister, and Barra’s. Half-sister.” she quickly added and the principal smiled warmly. 

“Oh that’s wonderful you could come dear, I’ve seen the rehearsals and I have to say, they’re brilliant this bunch. That’s all the work of lovely Miss Stark.” 

Gendry swallowed and looked to where Ravella was gesturing, at Arya. She was talking passionately to a pair of parents, her lips pulled into a gentle smile he knew was her professional one. He felt his eyes glued to her, in a way he couldn’t control. His heart began to thump in his chest. 

“Oh, we know! Gendry was helping her out with the set up of the hall,” Mya laughed. “Excuse us, we’ll go say hi.” 

Gendry’s eyes nearly bugged out their sockets as Ravella left them and his sister dragged him to the woman in question.

“Mya- ” he warned. 

“Hey Arya,” Mya called out and his heart began to palpitate. “This is amazing.” 

When he looked up, Arya was looking at the both of them, her lips slightly parted before she put on what Gendry could tell was a slightly forced smile. 

“Hi Mya, how are you doing?”

“We’re doing great, can’t wait to see Barra,” his sister said overzealously.

“She’s amazing, you’ll really enjoy it,” she returned rather diplomatically. 

“Arya,” he greeted and she nodded. 

“Gendry,” she met his eyes for a brief second and then looked away. “Hope you enjoy the production, the kids have been working hard on it.” 

She turned around and he was two seconds from reaching for her wrist when Mya stopped him. 

“After,” she told him in a whisper and he closed his eyes, sighing. “We’re here for Barra.” 

“You’re right,” he said and watched Arya go off and speak to some more parents.

It was always strange to see her so social because he was too introverted himself to be that engaging. But he guessed it was her natural charm, that people were just drawn to her like an ant was to sugar. He had fallen in the same hole, and he had just gotten lucky that she cared two licks for him too. Not that she did now, the way she had averted her eyes had been evident. But for some reason, that just made him more determined to win her back, in whatever fashion she’d let him. 

  
  


When the lights went off, Gendry let himself be excited. 

He had been involved in Barra’s other school-related events; bake sales, talent shows, school camps and even sleepovers in the gym. But this was the first production he had ever attended, especially one where his sister had a starring role. 

“The hall looks great,” Mya whispered to him. “So it turns out you guys weren’t just making out in here.” 

He felt himself burn red. 

“No, I actually give a shit about these things,” he snapped and she rolled her eyes. “So does she.” 

“I’m teasing, take a joke, you big dork.” 

He was about to reply when the curtains were drawn and two boys dressed up in medieval finery were standing stage front. The audience went silent. 

“I am Argilac Durrandon, I call upon thee, Dragonlord,” one of the boys announced. 

“What is it my lord?” the second boy called, his low-quality wig nearly causing Gendry to laugh out loud. 

A light fell on a boy dressed in a jester’s cloak. 

“With the threat of Harren Hoare’s conquest looming overhead, Lord Argilac Durrandon made an offer instead.” 

He turned to his sister who was smiling. 

“I shall give thee my daughter’s hand, lands for dowry for thy protection.” 

“Alas, his Grace has already wives, but he shall offer you to the hand of his fiercest warrior, Orys Baratheon.” 

A boy dressed in faux armour and a fake beard appeared. Some kid with a trumpet blew on it painfully. 

“Outrageous!” the boy playing Argillac banged the prop table with his fist sending the boy tumbling to the ground. 

“But I am only a poor messenger!” 

“Tell that dragon lord the only thing I shall offer is your hands!” 

The boy who played the messenger pretended to cry and ran off. 

“I can’t believe I’m laughing at this,” Mya whispered in his ear. “When my ma told me this story I couldn’t sleep for three nights.” 

He chuckled. 

The rest of the play ensued in a comedic fight, a child’s reflection of the Last Storm after Aegon had announced himself as Westeros’ one king. The kids tumbled over the stage, some pretended to fall. The actors for Argillac and Orys fought with swords until Argillac took one of the swords under his arm so it looked as though he were stabbed. 

“I am slain! ” the boy dropped dead and there were a few sniggers in the crowd at his dramatic expense as the guards ran off stage. 

Then Barra appeared on stage and his mouth dropped, she was adorned in a long medieval gown, striking in gold and black. Her black hair was tousled and loose as if she had been by the sea. 

“She looks so beautiful,” he heard Mya whisper and he couldn’t help but agree. 

He looked to the side where Arya was and she had the same look of adoration on her face that Mya did. The sight undid him. 

“I am Argella Durradon, Storm Queen and you shall not take Storm’s End!” 

The rest of the story ensued, the soldiers placing faux chains around her and leading her down the stage. He rolled his eyes at Barra’s stubborn acting, pretending to resist. 

“You know we’re technically related to them,” Mya whispered in his ear. 

He rolled his eyes and thought about his father, how his legacy trickled down into a band of illegitimate children who had stuck together, through thick and thin. He focused back on the play where a boy who played Orys Baratheon wrapped a cloak around Barra’s shoulders.

“You may take my castle, but you will win only bones and blood and ashes.” 

Gendry felt a shiver as the curtains closed and the small hall erupted with applause. 

_ That’s his legacy,  _ he thought. 

“Okay, maybe we need to invest in acting classes,” Mya said whilst clapping. 

Gendry whistled and stood up as the curtains opened back up and the cast bowed, Barra, standing in the middle with a big smile on her face. He caught her eye and smiled as she gave him a toothy grin. 

“I’m not opposed to that idea,” he whispered back to his sister and saw the same smile.

  
  


Standing with Mya in the foyer of the hall, he spotted his sister still in her costume. 

“Hey you!” he smiled as Barra leapt up into his arms, throwing her arms around his neck. “I think I spy an actress in the midst.” 

“Thanks, Gen!” she smiled and kissed him on the cheek. “Did you like it?” 

  
“Liked it? We loved it sis! We got you these, I hope you like them. I think the main star of the show deserves the prettiest,” Mya said as she slid from his arms. 

Barra’s eyes widened as large as dinner plates as Mya produced a bouquet of pretty pink flowers. He had seen them in the market and gotten the bunch because they were her favourite colour. 

“Thank you!” she hugged Mya who gave her a warm smile and stroked her hair. 

“Gen picked them out,” she explained and Barra gave him another hug. 

“Did you really enjoy it that much?” 

Gendry nodded and kissed the top of her head. 

“It was brilliant.  _ You’re  _ brilliant.” 

And just as he looked up, he saw Arya smiling at him from across the room, despite looking as though she was in the middle of talking to a pair of parents. He swallowed and kept her gaze until she looked away, the smile still on her lips like an invitation. 

_ I’m not my father.  _

“Hey Gen,” Barra said and he looked at her with a confused expression. “You should talk to Miss Stark, I think she’d like that.” 

His sister gave him a knowing yet wise look 

“Just give me a second Bar,” he told her, cupping her cheek. “Stay with Mya alright?” 

He took a deep breath in and walked up to Arya, watching her studying him the entire time. 

“Hey,” he whispered. “Can I talk to you for a second?” 

She smiled at the parents and excused herself politely, stepping closer to him. She was wearing a light blue dress he noted, with flowy sleeves and a long hem with buttons down the front. Her hair was tied up in a bun that spilled tendrils of hair against the back of her neck and he could see she had worn a little makeup. She was beautiful, and he was staring at her like a fool.

“Well?” she cocked an eyebrow. “Can I help Mr Waters?” 

“Want to go outside?” he offered and she regarded him for a moment. 

He opened the door to the hall for her and she stepped out first, her dress billowing in the breeze. 

“Did you like it?” she asked, once they were out from the crowds and walking down the street. “The performance I mean.” 

“I loved it,” he said honestly. “You were right, the kids really did put a lot of effort in and not to be biased but... Barra was… Wow, I don’t think amazing covers it.”

She chuckled the sound of her heels on the pavement as the sun-kissed the horizon, bathing her in orange. Her grey eyes flickered up to his and he felt his heart stammer in his chest. 

_ I have to tell her.  _

“Arya I-” 

“I listened to your voicemails,” she told him suddenly, stopping their walk and his heart thundered in his chest. 

“Yeah?” he breathed. 

“You were a dick,” she simply said, and he blinked at her.

“I know.” 

“But you said a lot of things,” she breathed and looked away. “A lot of things I understand, and some… I don’t, and I don’t know if I’ll ever understand.” 

He nodded, to himself more than anyone else. He could accept that, it was hard, the whole situation with Barra so he could comprehend her-

“But I want to,” she said softly. “Because I know you didn’t… You didn’t do it on purpose. It must have been so hard to see her sick. I think I would have done the same with one of my siblings.” 

He shuffled on his feet. 

“Doesn’t mean it’s right,” he sighed and felt her gaze on his. “What I said… About Barra being my priority, it’s true but it doesn’t mean I have to shut the world off to other people.” 

She looked away and sighed. 

“Can you forgive me?” he asked her quietly. “Gods know I missed you so much Arya, I’m so sorry.” 

Her eyes flickered up to his, her lips pressed together. She looked hurt, he could tell that and he was sure he deserved to be rejected. But he knew amidst the hurt he had caused her, there was something in her eyes that he couldn’t place.

“I need a bit of time to think,” she said, her voice steady but it didn’t hold the confidence he knew she regularly exerted. 

“Anything,” he promised. “I’ll wait for however long.” 

She nodded and stepped around him to go back the other way. Before she could disappear, she turned back to him and he waited. 

“Have a good night Gendry, you should be very proud of Barra.” 

She turned and he smiled as her back turned and she headed through the door. Despite his heart pounding in his chest, he couldn’t help but feel a little bit of hope. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> chapter count might change :) 
> 
> comments and kudos are GREATLY appreciated!


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